Firefighter Pulls Pit Bull From Fire, Revives With CPR

Firefighter and paramedic Tammy Rodriguez was beaming as she appeared with the resuscitated pooch, a female named Howdy, at a Friday evening news conference at the Engine 57 station.

Rodriguez said one of her colleagues carried the lifeless dog to her outside the fire scene, a three-flat at 1833 N. Wood Ave. She started working on the animal immediately.

“(The dog) was completely out,” Rodriguez said as the now-energetic dog perched over her shoulder. “And we just started putting the mask (on) and giving it straight oxygen. I started performing CPR, and for awhile there it wasn’t reacting, but I think just the positive pressure of oxygen made it start breathing, which was exciting.”

“All of a sudden she started opening her eyes and we’re like ‘Oh, my God’ … and then she got up,” she added.

A second dog, a puppy, was rescued from the fire and received treatment, Rodrigquez said.