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<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Bryce licks the cheek of his owner, Ron Werner, as the two are reunited on Thursday. Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Bryce relaxes in a cool spot as he waits for his owner, Ron Werner, on Thursday. Lynnwood firefighters took care of Bryce while Werner was in the hospital. Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Lynnwood firefighters give one last pat to Bryce, a yellow Lab, before Bryce joins his owner, Ron Werner. The firefighters took care of Bryce while Werner recuperated from burns he suffered attempting to put out a fire in his van. From left are Julian Aceto, Bob Cain, Kevin Maxwell and Kevin Miller.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, May 16, 2008 Lynnwood firefighters reunite man hurt in fire with his dog By Yoshiaki Nohara Herald Writer LYNNWOOD -- Bryce arrived in a fire engine at the Extended Stay America hotel in Lynnwood on Thursday morning. Six firefighters accompanied the yellow Lab. The dog's owner, Ron Werner, walked out of the hotel to see Bryce. The two greeted each other again and again, Bryce with licks for his friend. They had been separated since a fire last month that left Werner seriously injured. The firefighters, who had take care of the dog while Werner recovered, reunited the dog and his owner Thursday. "Are you good?" Werner asked the dog. Bryce licked Werner. "He is good," said Kevin Miller, a firefighter of the Lynn­wood Fire Department. "He just hung out with my dog. I have a yellow Lab also." "Thank you," Werner said. "No problem. That's what we do," Miller said. On April 23, the van Werner was driving caught fire. Werner tried to put out the fire, and his right hand was burned. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and told Werner to go to a hospital. Werner wouldn't. He was concerned about Bryce. The two were living in the van after Werner was laid off from his aircraft industry job in late 2007. He was running out of money. Werner didn't want to lose Bryce, 4. They had been together since the dog was 7 weeks old. "He's my friend," Werner said. Firefighters promised to take care of Bryce. Miller agreed to keep the dog at his Snohomish home. "We are not firefighters only when we are at work. We are firefighters 24/7," Miller said. Werner was hospitalized and doctors grafted skin from his thigh to his right hand. At the hospital, Werner had a nurse call the fire department to make sure that Bryce was fine, said Marybeth O'Leary, the department's public education officer. Werner got out of the hospital and moved into the hotel on Wednesday. Firefighters bought a new leash, toys and dog food for Werner and Bryce, firefighter Kevin Maxwell said. Maxwell and Miller carried the dog food into Room 115 of the hotel, where Werner is trying to get his life back on track. "Take care, Ron," Maxwell said, leaving the room. "Thank you so much," Werner said. "I'm blown away by what you guys did." Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.

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