The balance of fearlessness and derring-do wrapped in compassion is what distinguishes first responders. As I highlighted in January, during Southern California’s Palisades and Eaton fires, firefighters went above and beyond to make sure they could rescue and help as many animals as they could. One even took the time to comfort a dog that had been left behind, terrified and confused. This week’s Feel-Good Friday shines the spotlight on two firefighters who rescued precious puppers, giving them a second chance at life; then turned around and made those pups a part of their lives. 

Just a few days ago, in Denison, TX, firefighter Scott Robinson was part of the team that responded to an early morning house fire. Two dogs were loose, and ran out the door as soon as the firefighters arrived. However, as they were fighting the blaze, they discovered another dog inside the house that was trapped in his crate:

“We just happened to be hitting the fire, and the smoke started to clear, and I look through the window and I could see him in a corner in his kennel and he was trapped by the seat of the fire,” said Robinson.

Immediately, they knew they had to act quick to save his life.

“We carry these oxygen masks for dogs to help them breathe after they’ve had smoke inhalation like that,” said Robinson. “That was the first thing he got immediately after coming out… after 10 minutes of oxygen, he was up running around trying to get away from me.”

One wonders what caused this fire, and why these dogs were left alone. Who abandons three beautiful dogs and locks one in a crate? That wrong is blunted by what ended up right: the firefighters who arrived just in the nick of time to rescue the dogs, and firefighter Robinson who decided that the one trapped in the crate, now named “Blaze,” was meant to be a part of his family:

“He was pretty skinny at the beginning too,” said Robinson. “He’s come a long way. He was never really timid though, like you would think he would be.”

Clearly, Blaze made quite an impression, as Robinson says he knew immediately that Blaze was coming home with him.

Meet Blaze! He was rescued and adopted by Denison Firefighter Scott Robinson over the weekend from a house fire. He’s on the road to recovery! ❤️‍🩹 @KTENnews pic.twitter.com/wzN9xTqZsK

— Olivea Herzberg (@HerzbergOlivea) March 26, 2025

And that was just this week! It’s been a few weeks of happy endings for the canine set. On St. Paddy’s Day in Pickens County, GA, firefighters rescued a litter of puppies from a house fire. The mama dog covered their little bodies with hers to protect them:

“Tried to do CPR on her. Worked her for several minutes,” Holaway said.

She didn’t make it but all seven of her puppies survived.

“I just handed them out the window to another firefighter,” said Holaway.

Three of them are at Bosley’s Place Rescue in Smyrna and on Monday, they were in the hands of the man who saved their lives.

“I love helping people. It is as simple as that. It definitely ain’t for the money, I can tell you that,” said Holaway.

Vets recommend that newborn pups stay with their mother and littermates for at least 12 weeks. This allows for social and emotional development, as well for the puppy to learn important skills and behaviors before being introduced to a new home. Soon after the rescue, Holaway, his wife, and their two children visited the puppies, and plan to adopt one of the puppies when he or she gets beyond that crucial stage. Holaway’s daughter said she was very excited at this prospect. 

These firefighters understand that saving lives can go beyond rescuing human and other life from burning structures; it can also mean giving them a safe place that they can now call home. Thanks to Scott Robinson and Isaac Holaway, Blaze and one of the Pickens County puppies have a new “leash” on life.

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