Ottawa doesn't always make the news for the right reasons: but this week, the city's fire service delivered a story worth sharing.
In the aftermath of a series of collisions Wednesday night in Ottawa, firefighters responded to scenes where a dog had been involved in a crash. Among the responders was Firefighter Gottlieb, a trained veterinarian, who stepped up to do something his colleagues couldn't: provide on-the-spot veterinary assessment for the injured animal.
Gottlieb carefully examined the extricated dog for injuries, applying his veterinary expertise at the scene to evaluate the animal's condition. The good news: the dog was confirmed to be uninjured.
Not Your Average Skill Set
It's rare, but not unheard of, for firefighters to hold professional qualifications outside their emergency services role. Ottawa Fire Services has long emphasized the value of diverse skills among its personnel, and Gottlieb's story is a vivid example of why that matters.
The Ottawa Fire Services caption accompanying the video made the point plainly: "Our firefighters bring an incredible depth of skills, training, and experience to every call." In this case, that depth extended all the way to veterinary medicine.
A Night of Multiple Collisions
Wednesday's weather in Ottawa was brutal, freezing rain and icy road conditions led to a significant number of collisions across the city. Emergency services were stretched responding to multiple scenes, and the incident involving the dog was just one of many calls.
Ottawa firefighters, paramedics, and police all worked through the night to respond to the cascading weather-related incidents. Road conditions improved through Thursday morning, but Environment Canada had already issued freezing rain warnings earlier in the week that prompted school closures and bus cancellations across the region.
The Dog Is Fine
In a city that's been dealing with LRT sparks, ice storms, and transit headaches all week, it's genuinely nice to have a story where the ending is: the dog is okay.
Gottlieb's calm, professional response at the scene is being celebrated across Ottawa social media, a reminder that behind every emergency call is a person who chose a career dedicated to helping others. And sometimes, that includes helping a dog who had a very bad night.
Ottawa Fire Services has about 1,200 uniformed members across more than 40 fire stations, with specialized units covering hazardous materials, technical rescue, and marine response. Add "veterinary care" to the list of things they're apparently capable of.
