Should L.A. firefighters have risked their lives to save a dog? Tell us what you think [Updated]

The rescue of a dog by an army of firefighters and swift-rescue personnel has been the talk of Los Angeles. It was broadcast live on local TV and has sparked much debate.

Should fire personnel have risked their lives to save the dog?

LAFD Capt. Steve Ruda said the firefighter, Joe St. Georges, who rescued the dog has significant bite injuries to his right hand and forearm, and is being treated in the emergency room at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.

“They are waiting for a hand specialist to come in because of the significance of the injuries,” Ruda said. The dog will be tested for rabies, and is being cared for at the county's Animal Care shelter in Downey, he said.

[Updated at 6 p.m.: St. Georges, wearing a bandage on his hand, was released from the hospital and spoke to the media.

"The dog was trying to get out of the channel, and that was not going to happen," he said, explaining why officials decided to act.

He said the dog "started snapping at me" when he tried to put a capture restraint on the canine. He said he got one bite to the thumb.

St. Georges was asked why he decided to risk his life. He said officials worried that someone without training would attempt to rescue the dog because the scene was being broadcast on TV.]

Share your views below.

--Seema Mehta and Shelby Grad

Comments

[Teresa Worrall]

I sincerely believe that a human life is more important than that of any animal! That goes for driving and swerving to miss an amimal. Many people have been injured by doing this. I'm a firm believer that if there is an amimal in the road and if you can avoid it by slowing down - yes, do so - but putting your life on the line to save one - no way!

[The Real Deal]

I have only read a few of these comments and what amazes me the most is how many experts there are out there. None of you have any idea what went on that day other than what you read in a paper or see on the news. As far as extra costs. All of the swiftwater rescuers that day were already deployed for the storm. Like we do for all heavy storms ever since the early 90's after the Adam Bischoff death. So the cost was already there. Dog rescue or not the cost would have been there. As far as saving the dog. Agree or disagree. That decision, as is all decisions by the FD, is based on risk versus the gains and people with a lot more information about the event than anyone here made that decision based on the information at hand without the luxury of sitting in a warm house behind a computer screen criticizing. This rescue does a number of things. One thing that none of you can see is the fact that this rescue allows these highly trained swiftwater rescue teams to use what they have practiced and trained on and to learn from for the "human"rescue.

[Marilyn]

Yes Yes Yes, God Bless the L.A. firefighters and Joe St Georges. He is a true hero. The dog was so frightened and you just can't stand by and let him die. Someone probably abandoned him to begin with . It is so nice to know that we still have some decent and caring people in this world.

[alinla]

It is s safety call. If they left the dog, a person could have gone in to try and save the stranded animal and then the fire fighters would have had to save a human and the dog. They made the right call. They did the right thing. Expensive or not, the LA Fire Fighting community (LAFD and County) tends to make the best calls for all our safety on a daily and ongoing basis.

[Toluca Lake Observer]

It saddens me to see the comments of so many heartless people. And worrying about the cost? No wonder our country is heading into the cesspool, with so many mean, uncaring, greedy people as some posting here.

[Nancy Sue Wilson]

It made my heart sing to realize there are still people in this country who have an appreciation for more than just $$$$$. We live in a time so consumed with hate, violence and rude politics this was an amazingly warm "feel good" story! Thank you to the brave people who gave us this great break from the negative.

[B. Lindsay]

Awesome! Thank-you firefighters. The gift of saving a life, whether it's human or animal is important, and truely newsworthy. Thanks again for a job well done and certainly recognized by a lot of animal-lovers out there.

[SUK TSANG]

It is not whether the dog should be saved.
It is that the fire department wasted tens of thousand dollars of your tax money and hospital bill doing the kind of stunt on a dog.
It is that the dog could be saved cheaply from the ground.

[Moosebreath]

I think it was great that they did. Animals are our family also. Maybe in the future, Animal Control should be trained to perform such a service.

[eor]

I understood early on that the dog was at risk of being washed downstream to a rougher part of the river. The firefighters were afraid some civilian with no equipment or experience might try to do a rescue and drown. It makes perfect sense to me and Vernon was saved!!

[CS]

This was an extremely valuable training for the LAFD. People are writing that they should have expected the dog to bite, but keep in mind that a panicking victim is liable to be more dangerous to his rescuer.

[Marina]

Yes!! a dog is a mans best friend<3

[megan]

Yes, they did the right thing in rescuing the dog. Not only for the emotional reasons so many point out, but for the one main reason that if they DIDN'T rescue the dog, an ordinary citizen with no training or skills would have gone in to do it himself or herself. Then the LAFD would've been out there rescuing both the dog and the bystander. Better to just go and get the dog and therefore keep the silly humans safe from the beginning.

[lp]

yes. they should re-think the rescue of idiots to decide that during a rainstorm is the perfect time to go for a stroll in the river bed!

[Roberto]

Absolutely the right decision. If nothing else, it was an excellent live training exercise.

[Sawyer S.]

Thank you so much for rescuing the dog!!!!!! You are our hero! Please continue to rescue all animals!!!!!!

[James Dunkle/Firefighter Paramedic-Ohio]

The men and women of the LAFD are experience and well trained in handling these rescue situations. I am sure they sized up the situation and decided it was safe to attempt a rescue. Can you immagine the uproar if they had just let the dog die? A sure public relations loser!! Great job LAFD!!!

[Lorelei]

Yes, either you value life or you don't. If you do, you preserve it. Ask the firefighters whether they'd do it again. better still, ask the dog and his (ultimate) owner.

[me]

What a waste: We couldn't believe they were using the personnel, time and monetary resources to rescue a DOG. Only in California....

[ken]

Additional taxpayer costs for firefighters who were already being paid salaries for whatever they would have be doing at the time~ $0
Additional cost for helicopter to hover over one spot instead of patroling up and down the river scouting for potential victims~ $0
Valueing the type of thing that has made Americans great, putting "the right thing" ahead of the almighty dollar~ PRICELESS

Just the fact that this question is even being asked makes me almost ashamed to be an American in this day and age. What would George Washington have done? What would Abraham Lincoln have done? What would John Wayne have done? What would Ronald Reagan have done? They're all rolling over in their graves right now.
God help a nation that is willing to sell its compassion, its decency, and its humanity if the price is right.

And you can be damn sure that if this dog's human had fallen into the river it wouldn't be idly standing there doing a risk/benefit or cost/reward analysis on the situation!

[Orion]

I'm a firefighter here in Keizer, OR and I think they did exactly the right thing.

All life is precious. But outside of that there are a couple of advantages to this rescue:
1: Great PR. Had they let the dog die, they would've gotten a black eye for being callous - this is one of those 'can't win for losing' kind of deals.
2: Great live training. Swiftwater rescue is very dangerous, Training for it is expensive and dangerous. This sort of rescue is a great chance to practice their skills in a 'live' environment where at least it's not a human life at stake.

Well done, gentlemen.

Orion

[Sarah]

I think this is amazing! No matter if this firefighter saved a person or an animal, he still saved a life! I don't what any of you think, this was a very good thing to do... it DOESN'T MATTER if it was a dog they have feelings to, and I APPLAUD the firefighters and fire station for risking their lives for an act of kindness... this is the kind of news I like to hear!!!

[maribel]

All i have to say is that w love to see people like him that cares about everithing because if he did that for that dog imagine what firefighters do for everything alse I love firefighters

[TJF]

Hey look, these firefighters are the best and the bravest...this is a wonderful story about a selfless group of people who did a wonderful thing...I was amazed and had tears in my eyes, to see this man volunteer to risk his life for the one of God's innocent creatures who was in big trouble. It would have been a lot worse on so many levels if they would have refused to answer the call and we all had to watch the dog drown. God bless you guys!

[todd]

it takes a real firefighter to do this and he has a point about someone doing this with no training and end up getting hurt or diing. a dog as they say is a mans best friend if you were that dog im preety sure you would snap at someone if you were that scared. so if you were the dog would you want to burn and die or be saved by someone and live? it takes bravery and alot of the firefighters in the united states are very brave, in which i am and im only 15 and a jouniur fire fighter for crary hose department 5 in westfield, pa and if i was asked to risk my life for a dog id say yea i deffanently would, cause my dog is one of my closes friend and many are to humans