Family dog rescued from Palm Coast house fire recovering at animal hospital

Florida pup stuck in bedroom during house fire, rescued

It could have been tragic, but thanks to the Flagler County Fire Rescue department, Kira, a Great Dane, is on the road to recovery. Tovia House-Caldwell and her family were moving into their home in Palm Coast. Moments later, the house caught fire, while their dog was stuck in a bedroom. Their home was destroyed. Firefighters were able to pull her out of the home. Kira is now being treated at an animal hospital in St. Augustine. Tovia House-Caldwell, dog rescued from house fire

PALM COAST, Fla. - Kira, a 4-year-old Great Dane mix, is recovering from smoke inhalation after being trapped in a Palm Coast house during a fire.

The backstory:

Tovia House-Caldwell had just started settling into their new home. While making a trip to their old residence to grab some more items, they left Kira behind. When they returned an hour later, the house was on fire.

The dog was locked inside one of the bedrooms. Following unsuccessful attempts by the family to rescue the pup, firefighters from Flagler County Fire Rescue got her out and performed CPR.

"We could hear her crying inside," House-Caldwell said.  "I knew I shouldn’t have, but I ran into the house thinking I could save her. And my husband ran in after me."

The thick smoke forced them back out before they could reach her. The fire rescue team took it from there.

"They did everything they possibly could to save her, and we are eternally grateful for them," she said.

Kira was taken to an animal hospital in St. Augustine, where she’s receiving intensive care for smoke inhalation and neurological damage. According to the staff there, she is dealing with vision and balance issues. 

The family has yet to process the loss of their new residence, as House-Caldwell said they’ve been focusing on the health of their beloved pet instead.

"She means the world to us," she said. "We just have to get her better. We just have got to get her home."

What's next:

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Kira could be discharged from the animal hospital in the next few days.