I know there are poeple who say 'This is ridiculous, it is just a cat.' But people truly love their pets, and I'd be devastated if anything happened to my dogs! I salute these firefighters for saving a pet. Thank you! - Wish we had a 'Heroes' channel =)

YouTube: New Bedford firefighter Al Machado saves a cat with mouth to mouth resuscitation after rescuing the cat from an apartment on Summer street on Sept. 9, 2008

SouthCoastToday.com: NEW BEDFORD — Acts of bravery and courage come with the territory of a firefighter, but Al Machado might have broken new ground Tuesday when he saved a house cat with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

More here: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080910/NEWS/809100334
Sweating and breathing heavily from fighting the fire, Mr. Machado was still making faces and picking fur from his mouth when he told a reporter there wasn't much hesitation involved. He had rescued the cat from a burning, second-floor apartment on Summer Street "and it really needed air and it couldn't wait," he said.

So he began mouth-to-mouth breathing on the cat as he carried it out to the sidewalk, where police and paramedics were ready with oxygen, and left it with them while he went back inside the apartment. Paramedics administered oxygen while he was inside the building and, at the next opportunity, Mr. Machado resumed mouth-to-mouth, and the cat, a tiger angora, revived and was resting comfortably in the animal rescue van, awaiting a ride to the veterinarian.