Augusta Fire Department Saves Choking Dog

According to WABI, members of the Augusta Fire Department's Hartford Station are being hailed as heroes following the rescue of a choking dog.

Earl Kingsbury and his wife, Lorraine were spending time with their Japanese Chin named Ollie over the weekend when he began choking on a treat. Lorraine immediately grew concerned when she realized Ollie was struggling to take breaths. Earl said that he started doing the Heimlich maneuver but that it just wasn't working and Ollie was still choking.

The couple knew they needed help and fast. Unfortunately, given the day and time, the nearest open vets office was in Lewiston, and they were in Augusta. Lorraine then had the thought to put Ollie in the car and quickly drive him to the Augusta Fire Station. Upon their arrival, multiple members of the department thought the couple was carrying a baby into the station but quickly realized it was a small dog.

Paramedics Ryan Morton and Miranda Taylor were at the station and on duty the evening the dog arrived. The two jumped right into action attempting to free the lodged treat from Ollie's airway. Earl said the paramedics worked on the dog for about twenty minutes and that his tongue was turning blue. The couple was afraid they were going to watch their dog choke to death.

Eventually, the treat was freed from the dog's airway by holding his mouth open and retrieving the stuck food with medical tongs. Taylor and Morton both said it's the first time they have ever helped a dog in this way and that their medical training definitely came in to play. They said the basic anatomical structure of a dog and a human are, in fact, pretty similar.

So thank you to our local heroes at the Augusta Fire Department for always being willing to jump in and help, regardless of who the patient is. From what we understand, Ollie should make a full recovery from the incident.