TAMPA - A Dover man was overcome by smoke when he went into his burning house Friday in search of his 7-month-old boxer puppy. Harold John Bovie was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City and treated for smoke inhalation. The puppy, unbeknownst to Bovie, had escaped. The fire started about 10 a.m. at Bovie's home, 14239 Wooten Road, and sent flames shooting through the roof, said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley. It took firefighters about 25 minutes to extinguish the fire. The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause.
The puppy was found later at a home about 1 mile away and was reunited with Bovie after he was released from the hospital.