Santa Monica firefighter Andrew Klein rushed in and, moments later, carried Nalu’s limp, lifeless body out as other members of the crew fought the blaze for about 10 minutes.
"His eyes were glazed over, and he was not breathing, and I assumed he was dead," Lamirande told The Associated Press. "The firefighter said, 'I'm a positive person. Let's just get him back.'"
Klein and other rescuers spent 20 minutes using life saving techniques to get Nalu breathing again, including a special pet oxygen mask, CPR and mouth-to-snout resuscitation.
"He was totally lifeless," Klein said. "I picked him up and ran out of the apartment, because time is key, especially with a small dog. Failure was not an option."
Nalu started breathing again and even walked around. Lamirande took him to an animal hospital, where Nalu spent the next 24 hours in an oxygen chamber to recover.
"He's been coughing, but right now, he's fine, and he's so happy and smiling," she said Thursday.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
Photos Courtesy of Billy Fernando
Posted by Santa Monica Fire Department on Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Credit: Billy Fernando/Santa Monica Fire Department
Credit: Billy Fernando/Santa Monica Fire Department
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