A lucky pooch has been reunited with the Hurstville firefighters who saved his life after a fire engulfed a Bexley unit last month.
Six fire crews were called to the unit block on Bexley Road on Saturday, July 22, after witnesses saw black smoke billowing from the top floor.
In one of the top floor apartments was Brown a 17-year-old lhasa apso, shih tzu cross.
He was trapped on the balcony just inches from where the fire began in an air conditioning unit.
The Hurstville crew were on a training drill at Kogarah fire station when they got the call.
Firefighter Robert Rushton said they were unaware of who was at home when they knocked down the front door to the apartment.
‘’It was pretty obvious the fire was coming from the balcony so we headed out there,’’ he said.
‘’We put the fire out within minutes and that’s when we saw Brown.’’
Instead of panicking, Brown was a picture of calmness, simply waiting and standing still until firefighters picked him up.
Senior Firefighter Justin Beckman said Brown was struggling.
‘’He was just standing still so I thought he must be struggling,’’ he said.
‘’He was very lethargic and wasn’t moving much.’’
He took Brown to a nearby vet before Brown was transferred to another veterinarian for 24-hour observation.
His owner Jane Hanrahan was in North Sydney for an appointment when she got the call.
‘’The police rang me on my mobile and I thought ‘ooooo’,’’ she said.
‘’I was more worried about my cat Rowdy since the police had told me Brown had already gone to the vet.
‘’When I got home and heard the tinkle of his bell there was just a huge relief.’’
Unfortunately, fire crews had already left when she arrived so she wasn’t able to thank the firefighters in person.
That changed on Tuesday when she paid a special visit to Hurstville fire station with Brown in tow.
He looked a lot different to the sooty ball of fur officers remembered.
Instead he was freshly washed with a green bow in his hair.
Ms Hanrahan said she couldn’t express her thanks enough.
‘’I just wanted to say thank you from everyone in the building,’’ she said.
‘’You do so much for the community.’’
Firefighters were even treated to a special present from Brown- a cardboard box full of chocolates and a card.
