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His name is Smokey.

A fitting name, considering the miracle dog was found alive by firefighters inside the smoldering remains of a Pinehurst home that burned down around him on Valentine's Day.

Firefighters found the dog breathing shallowly, but he only had a small burn above his eye. They quickly administered oxygen to the dog and called workers from Paws to Claws Veterinary Clinic in Magnolia to take the dog for emergency treatment.

"He was in bad shape," said Rhonda Lankford, an employee of the clinic who picked up the dog. "He was dehydrated, full of chemicals and had suffered from extreme smoke inhalation."

It was so bad that he was only taking about 40 breaths per minute – a very shallow rate for an active dog.

Lankford rushed Smokey to the clinic where her boss, Dr. Suzanne Knoop Scott, began treatment and placed the dog in their intensive care unit. The owner of the home that burned claimed the dog was just a stray that they fed, but that was the opening the staff needed to begin aggressively treating Smokey, in order to save him. By law they cannot treat a dog without an owner's permission.

For the first few days the prognosis was iffy. Smokey would just fall over when he tried to walk and was very thin. Suddenly though, the dog began to show marked improvements.

While he is a quiet dog, he is extremely loving and friendly, Lankford said. She said the improvement is remarkable and could be considered miraculous.

"He's bright and alert," Lankford said. "He's 100 percent better. Sometimes they just have a will to survive."

While Smokey is heartworm positive, Scott believes that it isn't too severe and can be treated with preventative medicine, while his body recovers from the effects of the fire.

Heartworms are not contagious to either animals or humans.

"He has to get fully recovered from the smoke inhalation before we can do the full treatment for the heartworms.

He could also stand to gain a few more pounds she said.

While Smokey is still recovering, it doesn't mean he has to stay too much longer at the clinic. He's only on oral medications and Scott said he could go home in about a week – that is if he had a home to go to.

With no one claiming the dog and a lack of space at the clinic, the staff is afraid they may have to turn Smokey over to animal control, at which point he could be euthanized within three days.

Area no-kill shelters are full and the doctor and her staff are frantically searching for a new home for Smokey.

Considering what the dog survived, it would be heartbreaking to many if he had to be put down, simply because he didn't have a home to go to.

If you are interested in helping provide Smokey with a new home, contact the staff at Paws to Claws Veterinary Care at 281-356-2384.

Ethan is a 1-1/2-year-old male black weimaraner. Ethan's owner loved him very much and cried when he had to give him up. His owner could no longer afford to keep this big guy and had to move into an apartment that would not allow this size of dog. Ethan is 90 pound gentle giant who is good with dogs, cats and kids.  He is good with other dogs at the shelter and plays very well with people. Ethan is a sweet friendly guy who loves attention. He is a little overweight and could stand to lose a few pounds. He was a couch potato at his previous home and is also house trained. Ethan knows basic commands and loves his belly rubs. This handsome guy would make a great addition to any family looking for a big lovable dog.

Jasmine is a 9-year-old female long hair tabby mix. Her family is no longer able to keep her. Their young son is sick and in and out of hospitals. They could not put Jasmine outside because she is declawed. She is a sweet, friendly girl who is a non-stop purr machine. She loves to have her head scratched and be petted. Jasmine is currently being fostered by an AAR volunteer, because there is a two month to get a cat into the shelter. AAR is a no-kill shelter, which also means we are limited on space. A lot of people don't understand that no-kill shelters can't take every animal that comes to the door. Call 832-203-3637 for more information or to set up appointment to meet Jasmine. For more information about AAR visit www.aartomball.org.

Sheba is a 3-year-old female shepherd. Sheba is at the shelter because her family had cats, which she did not like. She needs to go to a family without cats or small dogs. She has been in a foster home while recovering from surgery for a condition called Entropion. This is where the skin and eye lashes rub on the eye causing a constant irritation. She is doing great now and is an awesome dog. Sheba is great with all people and a mellow couch potato, but also likes to play fetch, play with other dogs, knows commands, likes to give kisses, is house trained, uses the doggie door and loves attention. She is a light heartworm positive. Once she is adopted we can do a two month heartworm treatment or you can keep Sheba on heartworm preventive for two years or so and it should go away. She would make a wonderful addition to a loving family. For more information about Sheba, contact Abandoned Animal Rescue at 281-290-0121, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For more information about AAR visit www.aartomball.org

Herbie is a 2-year-old male domestic short hair feline. He was seen being thrown out of a car window and was found by a group of kids who saw Herbie hiding under a shed. They alerted the owner of the property, who is an animal lover. She fed him and cared for his wounds until AAR had room for him. Herbie still has some sores on his hind leg, but he has been on antibiotics and they are healing nicely. He is incredible. He purrs constantly and loves the attention of everyone. Herbie enjoys the company of other cats and does not mind dogs. He is so sweet, handsome and gentle. Anyone that adopts this cat will simply know they have the best cat.  For more information about Herbie contact Abandoned Animal Rescue at 281-290-0121 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For more information about AAR visit www.aartomball.org.

Hewitt is a 2-year-old male chihuahua. He was found with five other small dogs by the Hewlett Packard building near SH 249. An employee had seen them hanging out for a few days and thought they were probably dumped there. He is such a sweet, friendly, loving little guy that weighs about six pounds. All he wants is to be with people and he loves attention. He would make a wonderful lap dog because that's where he wants to be. He would be happy with a family without small kids. He is also good with other dogs and keeps his cage clean. Hewitt will be waiting to smother you with love and kisses. For more information about Hewitt contact Abandoned Animal Rescue at 281-290-0121 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . For more information about AAR visit www.aartomball.org.

Rudy is a 9-year-old male terrier mix. His owner passed away. Rudy is a wonderful gentleman, weighing in at about 35 pounds. He has a terrier head with a beagle body. He would be the perfect lap dog, because that is where he wants to be. He is sweet, affectionate and good with children and other dogs. He is a house trained couch potato who needs his special spot on the couch and on the bed at night. Rudy is having a hard time adjusting to shelter life, he needs a calm life with a family who will spoil him and treat him with respect. He is the sweetest guy and will make someone very happy. For more information about Rudy contact Abandoned Animal Rescue at 281-290-0121
or email aar.dogs.cats@ gmail.com. For more information about AAR visit www.aar.tomball.org.

Cypress is a 1-year-old male terrier mix. He was found in Cypress and was shy when he first arrived at the shelter. Now he greets all volunteers with a smile and is ready to play. Cypress is a friendly, affectionate guy and playing fetch and running around the yard are some of his favorite activities. After a good run, he will look at you adoringly, while waiting for your love and attention. He also enjoys playing with other friendly dogs. Due to his good behavior, he is a favorite to take to community events that showcase AAR dogs. Cypress will be a wonderful addition to an active and caring family. If you would like to give Cypress a loving home please email aar.dogs.cats@ gmail.com or stop by the shelter. For more information about AAR visit www.aartomball. org.