Heroic Arvin police officer who rescued chained dog from home fire speaks out

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — Arvin Police Officer Adam Calderon was the first to respond to a raging mobile home fire.

All of the family got out safe, but not their pet dog. The family was not able to undo the chain on the fence, just three feet away from the flames.

"To be honest, I wasn't even thinking straight. I just jumped and said 'I am going to make the best out of this if I can get him I'll get him out,'" said Officer Adam Calderon.

"My back was already on fire. Whenever I was able to shelter the dog, my back was burning and at one point I thought I was going to have to give up, to be honest."

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS PROFANITY

He continued, "I tried talking to her first trying to do little pats, like come here doggie, come here, and he was not listening to me at first, so I had to yank him a couple of times and got him near me and just sweet talk him."

Officer Calderon stuck with it and struggled to get the dog free from the chain. Luck would have it, he spotted pruning shears at the neighbors.

"I was actually saying, 'Lord help me cut these' because I couldn't do it."

Acting Chief Alex Ghazalpour said, "He really humanizes the badge of having officers like that within the department, but with that heart. comes from the passion compassion, the drive, the comradery, and the teamwork, You can't train for that.

After multiple attempts and using all of his might, Officer Calderon used the dull shears to cut through the metal and guided the scared dog away from the fire.

"I just hope it motivates people to do the right thing at the right time. We didn't sign up for the job to just take bad people to jail or look cool carrying a gun or driving fast. We do it to do the right thing at the right moment."

"And I hope any officer can put an animal ahead of his life like we put people ahead of our own lives."