Special oxygen mask saves dog's life in Detroit house fire

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A precious 9-month-old dog lives to bark another bark after Detroit firefighters used a special oxygen mask to save his life.

Around 3:30 a.m. Friday morning, a home in the 1400 block of Hubbell on Detroit's west side caught fire. The people who lived there weren't home but 9-month-old Bates was.

"Our medic people, Medic 17, went to work on the dog and gave the dog oxygen," said DFD Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell.

They used a special oxygen mask made specifically for dogs.

"Two different groups donated these masks," he said.

Bates' owners didn't want to talk on camera because they believe their house may have intentionally been set on fire and arson investigators are looking into that possibility. Nearly everything inside the house was destroyed.

But Bates is alive and his owners say they are thankful emergency workers had the right equipment

"We don't use them very often but again, if you have a pet in distress, if we can help out -- we'll that's the Detroit Fire Department. We're certainly going to try," Fornell said.