Miley now smiling

Last week Miley the black labrador was a worried girl, rescued from a house blaze in Hornby and resuscitated by firefighters.

But yesterday lucky-to-be-alive Miley, pictured with her family, Scott Hardie, Aiden McLaughlin and Kylie Jack, had bounced back to her happy best, though she still has a cough from smoke inhalation.

The quick actions of the emergency services who found her unresponsive under a bed in the burning Steele St house, saved what would have been the tragic loss of a family pet.

And since then, the Hornby Rugby Club has stepped up to do their bit.

Miley's owner Kylie Jack's son, Aiden, 4, plays for the Hornby under 6s.

The club collected money on Saturday to pay for Miley's vet bill which is expected to be about $600.

Miss Jack's partner, Scott Hardie, said the Hornby club's gesture was fantastic, and a "massive" help to a family which was struggling with the loss of their uninsured personal items from the fire.

Mr Hardie said family and friends helped them go through the home on Saturday to see what they could salvage, which wasn't much.

The fire appears to have started in a clothes dryer.

Miss Jack was getting ready for work when she heard the family's two dogs growling and went to investigate.

"The whole laundry was on fire, not just smoke, everything."

She tried to call the fire station but her hands were shaking so much she dropped her phone, which shattered on the ground.

Panicing, she ran outside and started screaming for help, the neighbours hearing her and calling the fire brigade.

After the incident Miley was put on oxygen and under observation over night at the Hornby Veterinary Centre, until Mr Hardie collected her the next day.

She was still on antibiotics yesterday, but aside from a few coughing fits Miley's owners said she was "back to her bubbly self".

"The vet told us she'll cough it out," said Mr Hardie.

The family's other dog Serge, a five month old Bull Mastif, escaped the fire unharmed.

Scott, Kylie, Aiden, and Scott's 10 year old daughter Mya were happy to be reunited with both their pets.

Mr Hardie wanted to thank his employer Laycocks for their support, and Briscoes, where Miss Jack works, has set up a bank account to raise money to help the family get back on their feet.

If you would like to make a donation, the account number is 03-17020082682-000