Dog saves home from fire, severely injured

CLERMONT - A 4-year-old labrador retriever is getting praise for saving her owner's house from a fire almost two weeks ago, but Kali was severely burned in that fire and now she's fighting for her life.

Vet techs at Clermont Veterinary Hospital said the chocolate lab has had two surgeries since she was burned over more than 50-percent of her body during the fire on Dec. 30.

Sandra Dale said Kali was in a shed next to the home, and the shed was being warmed by a heating lamp.

"The wind was blowing really bad and the lamp got blown over and started the fire," said Dale. "The owner heard the dog screaming and he ran out and put her and the building out."

Because Kali was barking, the owner of the home was able to stop the fire from spreading to his house, which was about 20 feet from the shed, according to Dale.

"There was a dune buggy in the shed that blew up," said Dale. That, apparently, added to the intensity of the fire.

The man, who is elderly according to Dale, brought Kali to the Clermont Veterinary Hospital, but because of the severity of the dog's injuries and the expense of treating her, he will not be able to care for her.

Dale said if the dog makes a full recovery, then she will need to be adopted by someone who can keep her indoors.

"She's going to have to be an inside dog and she'll have some special requirements once she gets better," said Dale.

Vets at the clinic do expect that Kali will recover, although they said she likely will need one more surgery. Plus, the treatment for her burned skin is expensive.

"It's between $80 to $100 per day just for the wraps and the medicine and everything else," said Dale.

Despite her severe injuries, Dale said the dog is doing well.

"She wags her tail, she's eating really well for us, you know, she's glad to see us," said Dale. "Right now, there's not much you can pet on her, but she will come up and rub the other side of her face [that's not burned] on you. She wants to be loved on."

To make a donation toward Kali's care, contact Clermont Veterinary Clinic at 770-983-7851.