Firefighter saves dog with "mouth-to-snout" resuscitation

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SALEM, Mass. --A firefighter stretched the bounds of duty by administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save a dog caught in a fire.

Pixie, a 12-pound terrier crossbreed, was not breathing Tuesday when firefighters pulled her from a Salem home filled with smoke and flames.

Pixie was "seizing," with her back arched and mouth wide open. Firefighter Richard LeBlanc put his mouth on the dog's mouth in attempt to breath for the dog and revive it. After another firefighter gave Pixie oxygen, the dog was taken to a local veterinary clinic for emergency treatment.

The dog, owned by Phil and Kathy Kindler, survived.

"She looks good, and she's breathing comfortably," veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Bradt told The Salem News.

No one was injured in the fire, which officials believe may have been started by faulty wiring.

Capt. Alan Dionne said the firefighters' work demonstrates an important ethical guideline in the profession.

"Save lives first and property second," he said. "It's always life first. And that means every life."