Fast-thinking firefighters have been praised for extinguishing a kitchen fire – and helping to rescue a pet dog from inside.

At around 9:50 on Tuesday, January 4th, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) received a call about a fire at a home in Sunderland.

Crews had been alerted by a neighbour of the property and were on scene in just six minutes to begin tackling the blaze.

As they tried to bring the fire under control, the occupant of the address, Aleksander, returned to his property.

The 41-year-old quickly informed crews that his pet dog Clio was still inside the kitchen and needed to be rescued.

Firefighters immediately entered the property using breathing apparatus and were able to locate the seven-month-old Presa Canario.

Clio was brought outside and was clearly in distress, so crews retrieved specialist kit that helped administer life-saving oxygen to animals.

It was provided by the RSPCA and helped calm the rescue dog down before she was taken to the vets for a check-up. She has since made a full recovery.

Clio’s owner Aleksander has today praised firefighters for their response and thanked them for bringing his beloved pet to safety.

Aleksander said: “The firefighters were already there once I got home and when I told them my dog was in the kitchen they were quick to act and get her out

“Clio is only seven months old and we’d only had her for a few weeks when this all happened, it was a harrowing experience for our family.

“Luckily Clio is a smart dog and was sniffing around the bottom of the kitchen door for the clean air and didn’t panic.

“She spent a few days with the vet making sure her oxygen levels were normal after breathing in the smoke but now she is back to her normal self, I can never thank the firefighters enough for saving her.”

Station Manager Shaun Makin, of TWFRS, thanked the neighbours who called 999 so quickly and revealed the blaze was halted because the kitchen door was closed.

He said: “Thankfully the occupants closed their kitchen door when exiting the property otherwise the fire could have spread significantly and cause further damage.

“Our quick response with help from our Fire Control helped saved this pup from peril and I’m so proud of my crews for that.

“The oxygen therapy kit is present on all our appliances so whenever your furry friend needs it we will be there”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Our pets can be very vulnerable to the dangers of house fires and, particularly, smoke inhalation.

“That is why these specialist animal oxygen therapy kits which the RSPCA helped to supply to fire crews across the country can prove so vital.

“The fire and rescue services in this country do a wonderful job and we are delighted to help them not only save the lives of people but also of beloved pets who can be caught up in devastating and terrifying fires, as was the case in this incident.

“We are delighted to hear this dog was revived by Tyne and Wear fire crews and returned to her family who must have been so relieved at such a difficult time.

“The RSPCA relies entirely on donations and to help our rescuers continue rescuing animals we are asking people to join the charity’s Winter Rescue.”