Kids & Family

Valentino, Pooch Rescued from Fire, Gets 'Kiss of Life'

This is a topsy-turvy story in which a dog gets a "kiss of life" rather than time in the pound when he meets up with the dog catcher.

After he was revived by an animal control officer, Valentino, an 11-year-old terrier mix, was expected to be reunited with his family. (Photo: Southfield Police Department)

_______________________

Southfield Animal Warden Robert White did something he doesn’t generally do as part of his job rounding up stray animals:

Find out what's happening in Bloomfield-Bloomfield Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

He put his mouth on a dog’s and breathed life back into him, WWJ-TV reports.

Valentino, an 11-year-old terrier mix, was rescued from a burning home Wednesday, then turned over to White. Valentino was alert and breathing. White thought he was fine and began loaded him up for transport to a veterinarian’s office.

Find out what's happening in Bloomfield-Bloomfield Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

En route, Valentino stopped breathing and collapsed. White pulled his vehicle to the side of the road, performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation, then mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, The Detroit News reports.

Valentino began breathing on his own. He spent some time in an oxygen chamber, but was expected to be released to his family Friday.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.