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Dramatic footage shows brave cop saving ‘lifeless’ Husky from burning home — quick thinking brings the dog back to life after family lost hope

The officer told a family member that dogs are family and love us unconditionally, a simple line that showed how deeply he values that bond.

BY PAHUL NANRA

PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO

(L) Sick Husky; (R) Firefighters at work (Representative Cover Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Pressmaster; (R) kevinmwalsh)

A body camera video recently released by Sanford police shows a tense search inside a burning Florida home for a family’s missing Husky after the adults and children safely escaped. The heroic rescue took place on December 2, 2025, when officers and firefighters reached a house fire on Appaloosa Court and were told the dog had not been found. The footage begins inside the smoke-filled home as officers move through low visibility, trying to reach the back rooms. When they spot the Husky lying unresponsive in its crate, the officers shift their focus at once, knowing their next step could change the dog's outcome.

House nearly destroyed by huge fire. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Jani Kantokoski)

As reported by NBC Miami on Monday, December 8, 2025, officers learned from the family that the Husky had not made it out during the evacuation. One of the officers on duty, Officer Pagan, then went back inside and followed the hallway until his camera finally captured the crate, with the dog inside, which "appeared lifeless from smoke inhalation,” as per the Facebook post by Sanford Police Department. The officers kept the crate intact so the dog stayed steady as they pulled it out of the flames. The video shows Pagan carrying the kennel through the doorway as Officer Diaz arrives to help move it to the lawn. The department later said the officers acted “quickly” once they saw the dog’s condition and shifted to giving it care right away. The Sanford Police Department also confirmed that the officers had to pull the "dog and its kennel out of the home” before treatment could start.

Two police officers are working at night. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | kali9

The footage captures the next steps as Officer Pagan kneels beside the dog and rubs its face to get even the slightest response. He then places an oxygen mask on the dog. The dog stays still at first, and the recording shows the quiet moment as the officer continues working. Slowly, the Husky begins to move, first shifting its head, then shaking lightly as the oxygen starts to help. Pagan also pours a small amount of water over the dog’s head, reflecting what the department later said was his effort to “cool, oxygenate, and revive the motionless Husky.” Upon the canine's response, Officer Pagan can be heard reassuring the dog with words like "Good job." Family members move closer as they see the dog responding, and the video records their relief as the dog starts lifting its head. The department noted that Pagan kept treating the dog for “about 30 minutes” before the dog could hold itself upright again.

The video captures the family's “moment of relief,” as they notice their beloved dog slowly come back to its normal state. In the footage, Officer Pagan tells a family member, “Dogs are family, man. They love unconditionally,” showing his sheer love for the bond people share with their pets. The department thanked all responders who worked to prevent further damage, noting their appreciation for the firefighters and officers who handled what they called an “intense fire” and helped ensure “no lives were lost” while limiting the spread of the blaze. The department also revealed that one individual faced a minor injury in the fire incident, as WFLA reports.