ATHENS-On Tuesday morning, January 9, Athens firefighters cleared a house where a bedroom burned only to discover the family dog named Marley still was inside the home.
Athens Fire and Rescue Chief Bryan Thornton said firefighter Coty Collins and Chuck Talley went into the home on Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road and felt for the dog. Talley found an unresponsive Marley and carried the dog to his fellow firefighters. The crew, which included Mike Brown and Ben Clark, administered oxygen with a dog-size mask.
Marley blinked.
Marley sat up.
Marley received hugs from the family.
“We are glad this had a happy ending because at first, Marley was not moving,” said Thornton.
Athens Fire and Rescue responded with its Engine 3 Crew and Squad 1 after receiving a structure fire call at 11:47 a.m. at 19890 Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road. Although the address is outside of the city limits, Athens Fire responded as mutual aid for Tanner and South Limestone volunteer fire departments.
