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A family's pet chihuahua was saved from a devastating fire by the sweater it was wearing.
A home in the 3300 block of West Camille Street in Santa Ana went up in flames Wednesday morning around 8 a.m., OC Register reports. The family—four adults and two children—was able to escape the fire unharmed. Six-month-old Millie, a female chihuahua, came bounding out of the front of the house soon after, KTLA reports.
Sondra Berg, Santa Ana Police Department Animal Services Supervisor, said that the dog's sweater had melted, and "was so crisp it was almost like plastic on the outer layer." She was able to remove the sweater by cutting it off with a knife. She found that though Millie had severe burns to her paws and tail, the sweater had actually saved the rest of the her skin.
Employees at the 17th Street Animal Hospital volunteered to treat Millie free of charge. Dr. David Weber, a veterinarian at the clinic, attributed Millie's life to the sweater, calling it a "protective sweater."
Authorities believe the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The fire had not only displaced the family that lived in the home, but three adults and four children who lived in the back house. The fire also consumed an SUV parked near the house.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Millie, and her humans.