Chihuahua Survives Raging Fire That Destroyed O.C. Home
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A small Chihuahua is lucky to be alive after a raging fire destroyed a home in Orange County.
The dog named Mellie sustained third-degree burns to her paws and her whiskers and tail were singed in the blaze, which erupted Wednesday at the home on West Camille Street.
"The little thing is lucky to be alive right now because, like I say, most often they come in and we can't do anything as far as the lungs. They just can't breathe," James Coghlan, a veterinarian, said.
KCAL9's Michele Gile reports that Mellie became trapped on her owner's porch when the house caught fire.
By the time authorities arrived, flames were 50-feet high, preventing those on scene from approaching the front porch, where witnesses say Mellie was tied by her leash.
Mellie, though, managed to escape after flames burnt through her restraint.
When Sondra Berg of Santa Ana Animal Services found Mellie, the sweater her owners' had dressed her in had melted into her fur.
"The sweater was so crisp it was almost like plastic on the outer layer so the first thing we did was get a knife and we cut the sweater off so we could see what kind of damage was underneath," Berg said.
Coghlan and David Weber at the 17th Street Animal Hospital wasted no time and took Mellie in despite the fact that her owners couldn't afford the intensive care she required after losing everything in the fire.
"Our heart goes out to these people who have lost everything in this fire and obviously this little pup means a lot to this lady," Weber said.
He added: "We wanted to be able to help and not add the loss of her dog to that list of problems that unfortunately she has."
A faulty extension cord is believed to have caused the fire, Gile reported.
