11-Year-Old Florida Girl’s Quick Thinking Saves Puppy from Burning Home

An 11-year-old Florida girl saved a puppy’s life by dialing 9-1-1 after she noticed it was caught in a house fire.

Mackenzie Jenkins was on a swing in her yard when she heard barking coming from a neighboring residence. The puppy’s bark made her aware of smoke that was exiting the home and she quickly dialed 9-1-1.

“When firefighters were able to make entry, they knew to search for a dog thanks to the information provided by Mackenzie” a Facebook post from the Cape Coral Fire Department reads:

In the post, the fire department explained, “Engine 8 responded to a public service call for a puppy whose head got stuck between two bars under a couch. Fortunately, they were able to free the pup quickly and with no injuries, much to the relief of his family.”

The six-month-old puppy named Fiona, “was unresponsive when firefighters found her, but Lee County EMS cooled her and provided oxygen, and by the time the fire was out, she was up and walking around.”

Mackenzie recounted the ordeal in an interview with NBC 2 News. “I knew that she was smart, and I knew that she would run to the other side of the house,” Jenkins explained.

The heroic 11-year-old went on to recall the dog’s physical state when it was rescued from the house. “She was hardly moving. She was breathing but she was hardly moving, and her heartbeat was like really slow.” Mackenzie would add, “I was scared I thought she was dead, but I knew she’d pull through it because she’s strong.”

The fire department’s Public Affairs Specialist Andrea Schuch explained the importance of Jenkins’s quick thinking in an email to Fox News. “If she had waited or hadn’t called, Fiona, the dog, wouldn’t have made it (and there would have been more damage to the house),” Schuch wrote. 

Mackenzie was awarded a Community Recognition Coin by the fire department in order to commend her life-saving actions.