During their search through the house, Copas said the men got word that Cuervo's concerns were for her dog Bella.
Copas and McSwain continued their search and found Bella, a boxer, on the bathroom floor unconscious and barely breathing, Copas said. McSwain carried Bella outside where she was treated.
"I didn't know if she was alive or not," Cuervo said. "I was praying to God that she was going to make it."
Minutes later Bella was conscious, and Thursday, three weeks after the fire, she was at Young-Williams Animal Center where her rescuers were honored by the center.
Copas and McSwain received a brick from Young-Williams' CEO Jeff Ashin naming them "Pet Heroes" that will be placed in the center's walkway, and Bella received a gift basket full of dog treats and toys.
"We wanted to acknowledge that they go in every day to save lives, and to make the extra effort to save the life of an animal is really special," Ashin said.
Bella suffered burns and spent time in Young-Williams' intensive care unit where she received oxygen until she was ready to go home.
Cuervo said she could not imagine her life without Bella, her pet for the past year. Cuervo calls Bella "part of the family."
"To me, it's the same as a human life," Cuervo said.
For Copas, he said saving a life is part of the job.
"Nobody does this job for the recognition," he said. "But it's very nice when somebody does something like (Thursday's honoring)."
Ashin said the lifesaving actions of the firefighters show Knoxville is a pet friendly community. He said while some might say "It's just an animal," he sees value in animal lives.
"All living things add to the quality of life and pets, whether cats, dogs, hamsters, whatever you have, bring joy," Ashin said. "There's that human-animal bond that really makes people feel good, and it's very vital to our well being and creates a healthy community."
(Knoxville News Sentinel - May 21, 2015)
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