Long before he became a firefighter, Lt. Mike Henderson had assisted dog surgeries while working at two veterinary clinics.
So when Henderson and other Lexington firefighters found eight pups, several unconscious, in a smoke-filled Lexington house yesterday, he knew the routine.
All but one were saved after firefighters inserted IVs and pumped air through tubes into their lungs, Henderson said.
Neighbors made the call to the fire department about noon when a fire broke out in the center room of the five-room shotgun-style house at 459 Addie Street in Lexington, firefighters said.
The dogs' owner, Mitchell Daniels, had not been seen in several days and wasn't present at the time of the fire, several neighbors said. He has not yet been located, fire investigators and the Lexington Humane Society said.
The resident was renting the house, which is owned by Jerry Edwards Jr., firefighters said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, said Capt. Glenn Phillips, a fire investigator.
As for the furry survivors, they've been napping at the Lexington Humane Society on Old Frankfort Pike, said Carrie Trapp, a spokeswoman for the organization.
Last night, a humane society worker went to check on a cat Daniels might have kept, which was heard meowing outside the partially burned house.
The humane society is trying to locate the animals' owner, Trapp said. If the owner is not found within two weeks, the animals may be put up for adoption.
For information about adopting a dog or cat, call the humane society at (859) 233-0044, Ext. 223, or see the Web site at www.lexingtonhumanesociety. org/adopt.htm.
