Puppies saved from fiery crash

Surveillance tape shows owner abandoning dogs after accident

MESA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Two puppies are safe and sound now, but firefighters say, they had to be pulled from a fiery predicament.

The dogs were in the back of a truck when their owner smashed into a gas pump in Mesa. Police say the driver bailed out and left his pups behind.

Firefighters say they didn't know the dogs were in the vehicle when they arrived to douse the flames. Then, one fireman saw movement.

"I could see a little tail wagging above the smoke. So it gave me a hint that there was a puppy in there, a dog. So, I tried to reach for it but it ran to the back seat." said Eric Brunner with the Mesa Fire Department.

Eventually they coaxed the pups out of the truck. A veterinarian treated them for minor burns, but they're expected to make a complete recovery.

Their owner, Eduardo Marquez, is now charged with driving under the influence, criminal damage, animal cruelty, and leaving the scene of a crash.