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Jingles Healing With Help Of Surgery

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By MARK DOUGLAS

mdouglas@WFLA.com

Published: February 20, 2009

It turns out Jingles is a real survivor.

The American Eskimo dog that suffered burns and other serious injuries when a house exploded in Dunedin eight days ago underwent surgery at Florida Veterinary Specialists on Thursday for treatment of his wounds.

"We have been very worried about his burn wounds," said Miryam Reems, the veterinarian who has been treating the dog since Feb. 11 at the hospital's Tampa location, 3000 Busch Lake Boulevard.

The surgery involved "debridement," or the removal of tissue to hasten the dog's recovery.

"Jingles has a chance for full recovery, but without his surgery the chances of him recovering are uncertain," Reems said.

The dog's owner, Duane Cole, was hurt Feb. 11 when his house at 1525 Michigan Blvd. exploded.

Cole was taken to Tampa General Hospital, but his current status is unclear. Family members instructed the hospital to not release information.

An arson task force involving Dunedin fire investigators, the state fire marshal and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has not released any information about the cause of the explosion and resulting fire.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda said detectives tell her the investigation "now hinges on interviews."

The home did not have a connection to a natural gas pipeline.

The blast blew off the roof and sent part of the house flying into a neighbor's yard before the rest of the structure disintegrated in an inferno.

Jingles' owners separated two months ago. Duane Cole was unemployed and living alone at the time of the explosion, which neighbors heard a mile away.

Firefighters say they found Jingles pinned under a pile of smoldering debris about 30 minutes after the explosion and immediately began treating him with a canine oxygen mask.

His condition was touch and go, but doctors now say he's making a comeback.

"Jingles has been a real trooper and although he is healing slowly his personality is back," Reems said.

The Florida Veterinary Specialists Foundation is matching money paid for Jingles' care by his owners and donations from the community, said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, spokesperson for the hospital.

Donors can reach the hospital at (813) 933-8944.

Mark Douglas can be reached at mdouglas@wfla.com

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