During an emergency, every second counts.
If it weren’t for the swift actions of 11-year-old Mackenzie Jenkins, a neighborhood house fire could have had tragic results. It all started when the child went outside to swing in her Cape Coral, Florida, yard one weekend.
Mackenzie was enjoying the fresh air when she saw smoke coming from her neighbor’s home. She could hear their 6-month-old puppy Fiona barking wildly inside. Thinking quickly, Mackenzie rushed inside her own house and called 911.
When the Cape Coral Fire Department arrived on the scene, they only knew there was a puppy trapped inside because of Mackenzie’s call. They were able to find the pup lying unresponsive on the floor.
Things looked bleak for a moment, but when the firefighters cooled Fiona off and gave her oxygen, she quickly bounced back! By the time they’d extinguished the flames, the sweet dog was up and walking around.
Fire officials say that if it wasn’t for Mackenzie’s call, the puppy probably wouldn’t have survived.
“The dog is fortunately doing great,” Cape Coral public relations specialist Andrea Schuch stated. “That just shows how important Mackenzie’s call was… if she had waited or hadn’t called, Fiona, the dog, wouldn’t have made it (and there would have been more damage to the house).”
Cape Coral Fire Department took to Facebook to add, “Firefighters presented Mackenzie with a Community Recognition Coin for her actions which not only prevented further damage to her neighbor’s home from the fire but saved their dog’s life. Great job, Mackenzie!!”
Mackenzie didn’t hesitate to call for help when she saw something wrong. She took responsibility while staying safe herself, just as we want every child to do in emergencies. We’re sure Fiona’s parents are beyond thankful that she was there that day!
Share this story to thank Mackenzie for saving this puppy’s life.
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