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Charlie was around two-and-a-half when DC rescuers found her trapped inside of a house fire last October.
As if a second lease on life was not enough, Charlie celebrated her third birthday on Tuesday, March 8, by meeting those who saved her.
“We’re celebrating Charlie’s third birthday today, which we wouldn’t have been able to do if it wasn’t for these wonderful brave men and women,” said Charlie’s owner Ann Sanders during Charlie’s birthday celebration.
The fire broke out at Sanders’ home on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest in while she and her husband, Loren, were on their honeymoon.
When DC Fire and EMS arrived, they found the house full of smoke — and Charlie unconscious.
Crews immediately scooped her up and took her outside. That’s when Firefighter Paramedic Marcella Somuah began giving Charlie oxygen.
“Throughout the call, I was caressing her, making her familiar with me to let her know she’s in a safe place,” Marcella said. “I did what I had to do and once she got up off the ground, I was just happy.”
EMS called the Humane Rescue Alliance who showed up and took Charlie to the Friendship Hospital for Animals. She spent four days in the ICU being treated for severe smoke inhalation.
“She was monitored around the clock,” said Dr. Christine Klippen with the hospital. “Because she did have some significant complications, we actually didn’t know she was yellow because she was so covered in soot.”
Everything fire crews did to help Charlie were extremely beneficial, she added. The event also showcased how the collaborative partnership between all the organizations is crucial towards saving our four-legged friends.
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