Dogs saved in a 'severe' fire at Salford kennels

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32777188

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Ten dogs were rescued from a "severe" fire at a private kennels in Salford in which four animals died.

Firefighters resuscitated two dogs after the blaze at a house on Kenyon Way in Little Hulton which began at about 19:00 on Sunday.

The revived dogs, one of which was a puppy, were brought back to life by giving them oxygen and massaging their hearts.

Eight people in the house, two parents and six children escaped unhurt.

Fire crews from Farnworth and Atherton attended the scene.

Watch Manager John Duffin from said: "There was a severe fire at the side of the property with flames reaching the top of the house.

Heat lamp

"The dogs were in a range of garden sheds and kennels and other wooden structures. The neighbour was doing a sterling job out the back with a hosepipe and rescued four of five dogs before we arrived."

He said it was unusual for crews to administer oxygen to animals.

"We normally do CPR and first aid on humans but we managed to revive two dogs that were not breathing.

"It is similar to the actions you perform on humans. We put oxygen on the dogs and one of the firefighters actually massaged the heart of one of the dogs which had stopped breathing."

Fire investigators believed the blaze began in a kennel in the back garden.

Mr Duffin said: "We think it was a heat lamp and there was a young dog in one of the cages who was a jumper and we think the dog was jumping up and down in the kennel and knocked the heat lamp onto the straw on the floor.

"The kennels and sheds are totally destroyed. It is a mess. Fire always leaves devastation behind and the family is obviously upset and the neighbours."