Hantie battles to save pets

2008-07-24 08:37

Sonja van Buul

Vanderbijlpark - Hantie Olivier, 48, tried to crawl into her burning house several times to rescue her six pets - only to be dragged out by her feet every time.

One of her dogs, Peanut, was saved by the fire brigade and was given oxygen and rushed to a vet.

A nine-week-old kitten, who did not have a name yet, also survived the inferno.

The fire broke out in the house of Hantie's brother, Richard Chipps, 32, on Tuesday night and destroyed the lounge, passage and roof. The rest of the house was badly damaged by water and smoke.

Hantie said on Wednesday: "I crawled close to the ground from the kitchen door to the passage to save the animals, but someone dragged me out by my feet every time."

While the Emfuleni fire brigade put out the fire, Chipps, Hantie, her son, Louis, 11, had to stand by helplessly and watch as a large part of the house was devoured by flames.

Treated Peanut like a human

Hantie repeatedly called to the dogs from outside and the firemen could not believe their eyes when they found Peanut, the sausage dog, alive in the house. The kitten got out by itself, but was found only on Wednesday.

Gareth Staley of ER24 said: "The other three dogs and a cat were already dead. They were probably overwhelmed by the smoke,"

Staley and a team of ER24 emergency staff treated Peanut like a human and gave him oxygen before taking him in an ambulance to a vet.

"Dr Louw Botha treated Peanut with a cortisone and antibiotics injection," said Staley.

Hantie was overcome with joy when she was reunited with Peanut, but was sad about her other pets.

"The house's electricity had been off and we went to fetch a take-away meal quickly," said Hantie.

Chipps, who was at work when the fire started, presumed that the electricity came back on and caused a short circuit.

- Beeld