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Two pets saved, one dog dies in mobile home blaze
By JENNIFER FARRELL, Times Staff Writer
A third dog did not survive, and a cat remained missing. Elaine Mabesoone, who owns the home and lives next door, said she and her husband dragged hoses from their yard but were unable to extinguish the fire. "These things go up like wildfire," she said, gesturing to the home as firefighters doused the rubble with foam Sunday afternoon. "My main concern was the animals." Mabesoone said a friend who lives in the home left 15 minutes before passersby noticed smoke and asked to call authorities. Hernando County Fire Rescue responded and Lt. Lee Hudson helped save Onyx, a black chow, and Scooby, a tan mixed-breed, said Capt. Robert Miller. After pulling the dogs to safety, a crew used oxygen tanks to help them breathe. Both dogs lay on their sides, chests heaving, as two firefighters held masks to their faces and stroked their coats. "We can't do much for them," said firefighter Kevin Rittenhouse. "We just do the best we can." Before long, Onyx and Scooby started breathing on their own and their owner's son took them to a veterinarian, authorities said. Oscar, a dachshund, could not be revived. The man who lived in the mobile home returned after the fire but declined comment. Miller said the fire, which is under investigation, took about 10 minutes to bring under control.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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