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Firefighter attempts to revive dog after York County fire

*Update: FOX43 learned Monday evening Pumpkin died at Rossmoyne Emergency Trauma Center. MONAGHAN TWP., YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A local firefighter is being re...
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*Update: FOX43 learned Monday evening Pumpkin died at Rossmoyne Emergency Trauma Center.

MONAGHAN TWP., YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- A local firefighter is being recognized for his efforts to save a dog at a fire in York County.

5 dogs were killed in the fire; the firefighter did manage to save one other.

The firefighter used a combination of CPR and oxygen from a pet mask to keep the dog alive at the scene.

15-year-old Pumpkin was barely moving and having a hard time breathing when firefighters first arrived at the fire in Monaghan Township.

"We were trying to put some oxygen in for pumpkin, and I started CPR on pumpkin, and basically, gave her, grabbed her mouth and gave her a couple of good breaths," explained James Salter, the firefighter who spent roughly 45 minutes performing CPR on Pumpkin.

Eventually, firefighters brought Pumpkin to Rossmoyne Emergency Trauma Center.

At that point, Salter says Pumpkin had been breathing on her own.

"It doesn't matter if its a pet or a human being - we want to treat them with as much dignity as we can," explained Salter.

His life-saving efforts are now being recognized throughout the community and online.

Salter says it's just a part of wearing the uniform.

"You know that when you're there, you're there to do a job, and you want to make sure you perform to the best of your ability that you can," said Salter.

Salter says he is grateful for the medical kit in the fire department's ladder truck as well as the pet oxygen masks that were donated to the department.

"You always have those resources you never think you're never going to use," explained Salter.

He told FOX43 he was grateful to give the family more time with Pumpkin because 5 other dogs didn't make it out of the fire.

"If it turns out bad, at least the family can say goodbye on their terms and not in the fire," he said.

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