Michigan Mailman Helps Rescue Pit Bulls From Fire, ‘I Was Prepared To Be Bitten’

A mailman in Michigan is being hailed as a hero after he rescued two pit bulls from a house fire while on his mail route. Brandon Messerschmidt is a rookie mailman in Commerce Township, Michigan, who has only been with the postal service for three months.

The mailman described how the scene played out to The Times Herald. Messerschmidt said that he was on his route that afternoon in a neighborhood near Fox Lake, when he saw flames coming from the attached garage of one of the homes. The owner of the home, Mark Ruggles, was outside with a garden hose trying to put out the fire. The pit bulls were inside the home barking loudly.

Ruggles said he had left the dogs inside to attempt to fight the fire thinking he could put it out and for fear that the dogs would run away. However, the flames began to grow rapidly and overtake the house. At this point, the mailman noticed that Ruggles began to cough and struggle to breath. When the mailman saw the situation turn for the worse, he entered the home through the back door to attempt to rescue the pit bulls who had been left inside.

Mseerschmidt said,

“He started to cough a bit and ran around the house to get some air. I went in through the back (of the house). By the time I got in, he had already taken the dogs out through the front.”

When the mailman saw the dogs had been taken out to safety he immediately went to Ruggles and took the dogs from him, herding them in his mail truck. Eventually, the mailman was able to get the dogs to safety in a neighbors home. Ruggles was then able to continue battling the fire with the hose.

In an interview with CBS Detroit, the mailman notes this was his first encounter with dogs on the job.

“I was a bit afraid at first. They kind of drill into our heads in the mail academy that a dog is a mailman’s enemy.”

However, Messerschmidt notes that the dogs never showed hostility towards him at any point during the rescue. He said any fear of Roscoe and Diesel- the pit bulls rescued from the burning home- wouldn’t have kept him from trying to save them.

Ruggles has since called the Postal Service to share his gratitude for Messerchmidt’s help as he was able to continue battling the fire without worrying about the safety of his pet pit bulls. But Messerchmidt doesn’t think what he did was that spectacular. He said he hoped someone would do that same for him if he weres in Ruggles’ position.

What do you think of the mailman’s efforts to rescue the pit bulls from the burning home? Would you have done the same?

[Image Credit: RuralInfo]