Would You Save Your Animals From A Fire?

[CARRINGTON]

OK so my OH and I were talking about if the house ever caught on fire if we were away and when we came back we knew the animals were inside would we go in and save them. We have a cat, Balto, and two naked mole rats. I instantly said YES, are you kidding I could not stand outside and listen to them burn to death. What about you? (Please no arguing or being negative everyone is entitled to their opinion and I actually would like to know reasoning behind everyone's answer).

[Stranger]

most defo...with a cat, 2 dogs and 3 guinea pigs i would be in there in a flash.....i would let the boys out the crate and carry the guinea pigs cage outside along with the cat.

 

no questions asked!

[Elyse]

Yes - I would do everything in my power to save my animals.

 

Although, I will admit the chances of this happening right now are nonexistent - we have an alarm system that sends the fire department over right away, and Suka is with us at all times (never left alone; he has severe SA that we've never been able to fix)

 

(Oh, and FYI...in a fire its the smoke that usually kills, not the fire itself. Just wanted to point that out...)

 

Now I've thought about this question many times: If I had a choice between saving my animals and a family member (human), I would choose to save a family member. I'm sorry, but there is just no contest. It would be extremely heartbreaking to do, though, but as much as I love my animals I love my family (Brother, Mom, Dad) more. 

[LittleLuka]

of course. as silly as it may sound to some, i would willingly put myself at risk to save Luka.

[DuramaxDiesel]

Yes, of course

 

We have stickers on our doors that say there are animals inside

[Dunc]

I don't think anyone would know till it happened

[CARRINGTON]

Yes, of course

 

We have stickers on our doors that say there are animals inside

I never thought of that

[Mazz]

I don't think anyone would know till it happened

BINGO! It would depend on the intensity of the fire, the amount of heat from the fire.

[HuskyMom09]

As a firefighter I will say that cats tend to be more resourceful than dogs in these situations.  Cats tend to find the exits, dogs tend to hide in the oddest places.  The last structure I was in we found the family dog hiding under the bed deceased due to CO inhalation.  My very first fire there was a report from the home owner that there were various animals inside, all the cats had already escaped the residence, the fish did not survive our initial foam attack nor did the frog, the Ferrets, though caged were on their way to the door, literally toppling the cage in the direction of the door and flipping it, I didn't see them until they ran into my leg with the cage.  "Animals Inside" posts by the main entrance and home owners with good information on location of their animals is so essential which is why we suggest crating dogs near an egress so we can easily pop the door and grab the crate without having to risk entering an unstable structure.

 

I have had to sit in court over this very subject, I had a fire where I had to make entry and evacuate not  the home owner but a good Samaritan who was looking for the family cat while the house was actively burning putting not only himself in harms way but me as well.  The structure was losing stability quickly, in reality in a fire most modern built houses have approximately 10-15min, mobile homes a lot less.

[HuskyGuerl]

YES no questions asked! I would rush in and let my four out of there cages and my hubby would holler for them to come to him..and they would be the only we would save from the house!!

[Keeonah]

Around about 1990 my next door neighbours house caught fire. Their son, knowing that I was a former firefighter, banged on the door for me to help. My wife phoned the brigade and I ran outside and weighed up the situation.  All the occupants were in the upstairs front window so a ladder was needed. The groundfloor was well alight. I ran to the rear of the house to retrieve a ladder that I knew was kept there. I was running back to the front when I heard the dog inside crying and scratching at the door. What did I do??? ....................... I threw the ladder on the floor and proceeded to kick the back door in to get the dog out. It took me what seemed like a lifetime to get the dog out, but I'd decided, that as the dog was in more imminent danger, being on the ground floor where the fire was raging, her needs were greater. Once she was out and the wife had got hold of her I then continued round the front to get the others down from the bedroom window. Just made it as the windows blew out......Phew.... Strangely enough they never even said thank you.

 

Gary.

[Husky-gunner]

You are a hero gary !!!!!!!

[Keeonah]

Thanks Lee, but I don't really see it that way. I was just doing what any normal person would have done. It still annoys me to this day though that they didn't even say thanks. Some people

 

Gary.

Edited April 11, 2013 by Keeonah

[GHOST R1D3R]

Depends on the scale of the fire if for eg its a level 10 NO. Its easy to say i would but a big fire i would have little chance of survival and i have to put my wife and kids first. But i wouldn't leave without getting them first so there is little chance i would have to go back in for them. 

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

I couldn't leave them inside no chance

[jmscott]

In a way already have. Our neighbor decided to keep open paint under where the water heater sat and one day it blew the house up. Ice Blink's kennel was set up on that side of the house and not one of the 20+ neighbors standing around had tried to get her out. I ended up shoving her into my van and running into our home to get the two cats. end result was two angry cats in a laundry hamper stuck in the front seat of a van, and a known cat killing Siberian Husky tied to the back seat while we waited for the Fire Department to get there in the hopes that our house didn't burn also.

[MidnightPaws]

I would save them, i could NOT leave them inside.

[Mia-Blue]

In my honest opinion i do not think I would give the pets in the house...cat and lizard a thought, i have 3 children who would be my only priority in a fire. The dogs both sleep outside in their run so I would not have to worry about their safety....but in all honesty if they were in the house they would not be my focus, nor would I allow my OH to put himself at risk to rescue them I value my human families lives to greatly not to put them first, and of course I would be devastated at the loss of my beloved pets, but i am sure it would not compare to the loss of a child x

[sharloid]

I'd like to think I'd give it my best shot. Apart from the OH I don't have any other family. I love my dogs.

[RedJasper]

I think about this often for some reason.  I would do whatever it takes to save my animals.  I live in a rural area.  My house would be ashes before a fire department made it out to me plus I live in a modular home.  I would have less then 3 minutes to make it out providing i'm home if it happened.  The reality is the cats may be a struggle to find as they often hide but I would certainly try.  The dogs are usually in the same room I am with leashes by the door.

[Mobezilla]

It honestly wouldn't matter to me how severe the fire is, I would be opening their crates and not even bothering to get the leashes and making sure they get outside as soon as possible, and I'd probably call them to the car and keep them in there until fire fighters can arrive . I keep their crates by the front door so it'd be easier to open their crates and get them out the door.

[Stranger]

i Am the only one at home so my thought would be to get to the dogs.

 

but i must admit, when my brother and mum still lived at home, i would wake them first and then sort the rest out.

[Stormy]

I cant really answer unless it happened

[emmaj87]

children and family members would come first! but i am sure every pet owner would try save there pet if it was do-able, it all depends on the fire.<br /><br />http://pdgf.pitapata.com/bBeM.png<br /><br />

[valkyries]

As mine are free in the house it's a case of brake afew windows to get them out xxxx