Kiko is back on his paws and doing better than ever, but Elizabeth and Braulio Fernandez thought they might lose their 11-year-old Yorkie on Sunday.
"I was feeling him already going lethargic because I was carrying him like this, and I could feel his, his paws, front and back, going kind of, like, relaxed," said Elizabeth Fernandez.
Kiko choked on a treat that got stuck in his throat.
"I looked at him and he had his mouth stuck open. He really looked at me like I knew that he was in trouble. So right away, our first thought was to find an animal clinic," said Elizabeth Fernandez.
However, the closest animal hospital was 25 minutes away. Fortunately, there's a fire station right across the street from where they live.
Two firefighters, Darin McCurdy and Jim Klages, knew they would have to adapt their tools if they were going to save Kiko's life.
"We acted on our instincts, and we could visualize that object and just removed it as quick as possible, and as safe as possible. We didn't know how much time he would have left," said Klages with the Punta Gorda Fire Department.
McCurdy and Klages used a device to hold Kiko's mouth open and grabbed the object out of his windpipe.
"A lot of people look at their pets as their own family, and in some cases, that's all they will ever have," said McCurdy with the Punta Gorda Fire Department.
Kiko was saved thanks to McCurdy and Klages' quick thinking. The dog's family could not be more grateful.
"Thank God that we thought of this and that they were there. They were heroes that day," said Elizabeth Fernandez.
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.