EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. - A fatal fire in Columbia County took the life of a father of three the day before Thanksgiving, now the family dog "Lucy" is fighting to stay alive.
Lucy is a 4-year-old Yellow Lab mix, and miraculously survived a fire that tore through a New Lebanon home on November 23, taking the life of Lucy's owner 30-year-old Adam Crowley.
Dr. Chew, a veterinarian of the East Greenbush Animal Hospital, tells NEWS10 it has been touch-and-go for Lucy. She was treated for shock and respiratory problems before being treated for burns which cover her entire body.
"She was almost comatose, not very responsive," Dr. Chew says, "she was severely burned from her nose to her toes."
Lucy is anaesthetized daily in order for the dead skin to be scraped away. She is kept heavily medicated so she can deal with the pain.
Dr. Chew said Lucy's survival was questionable. "It is rare that these dogs survive fires they are in," she says.
But on Tuesday, Lucy's spirit was looking up. "This morning I saw a lot of personality. She ate really well, and was happy to see me."
A family friend of the fire victims, Maggie Banker, visits Lucy twice a day. It was her that found Lucy after the fire, wet and dirty, and took her to the East Greenbush Animal Hospital.
"Everybody loves Lucy," Banker said, "We want to bring her home to her family. She's a wonderful dog. She doesn't deserve this."
Lucy still has a long way to go, but doctors think she should be able to go home for a few days later this week.
Lucy
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