[VIDEO] The Dog Who Went From Burn Victim To Firefighter

Dogs are truly a human’s best friend and that has never been more evident than the story of Jake the dog and Bill the firefighter. Jake was able to survive from overwhelming odds against him and is now a special firefighter with his best friend Bill never too far from his side!

A Rough Start

Jake the dog was only a tiny puppy of three weeks old when he to face a horrifying incident. A local firefighter named Bill Lindler noticed fire coming from his neighbor’s property. The people who lived there screamed at Bill that their puppy was stuck inside. Inside turned out to be a shed in the backyard that somehow caught on fire. Three-week-old Jake was trapped inside the burning structure. Luckily for Jake, his next-door neighbor happened to be a firefighter. Bill was able to quickly grab some firefighting equipment from his house and was able to retrieve the tiny pup from the fire.

Horrifying Burns

Poor little Jake had been saved but his struggle was just beginning. He endured horrifying burns over seventy-five percent of his body, and even his little paw pads were burned which made it difficult for him to walk. To add insult to injury, his original owners were unable to pay for his expensive medical care. Ultimately, the original family abandoned him at the veterinarian’s office. Again, firefighter Bill Lindler was able to save the day when he decided to save the pup. Bill officially adopted little Jake. He soon became the resident dog at the Hanahan Fire Department and became the official mascot.

Fire Department Mascot

With all of the love of Bill’s fellow firefighters and their respective families, Jake has been able to make an excellent recovery. As the mascot of Hanahan Fire Department, Jake travels with his firefighter buddies to various schools in the area to help kids learn about fire safety and other emergency information. Jake was even given his own special badge. He also signed his own special oath of office with his paw print. Jake is certainly one blessed dog to have been saved not once but twice by a firefighter who certainly changed the outlook of his quality of life.

Firefighter Dog

Bill Lindler told Bored Panda that he originally thought that he would be a great therapy dog, especially for children who have suffered from burns just like Jake. However, he changed his mind and said they are now focusing on Jake being trained to become an Arson Detection dog! It is said that Jake is definitely a people person and “can’t let anyone walk in the house without wanting to greet him!” Other firefighters also said that his spirit puts a smile on everyone’s faces. Dogs are always able to make your day better, and Jake certainly sounds like he is a special one.

An Enduring Friendship

Others have observed that Jake and Bill have a special bond that started as soon as he pulled him from the burning building. The pair’s bond is evident to anyone who sees them together and another firefighter even said that Jake will start barking and whining if he’s separated from Bill for too long. The firefighters also say that if they have to go out on a bad call he’s always there waiting with a happy face which makes their lives better. Jake’s amazing story has moved many people in his own life and now his story has been shared across the internet with a huge response to the uplifting story. Check out the remarkable video about his story here. The video was produced by Lucia Nazzaro and shot by Caleb S. Varnadeaux and edited by Andrew Osborne.

Courtesy of HooplaHa – Only Good News