Veterinarian saves cats caged in burning clinic  August 19, 1998 By Yvette C. Hammett  of the News staff  PORT ST. LUCIE - Veterinarian Patrick Kelly rushed into his flaming, smoke-filled examining room Monday night and rescued three cats trapped in the fire's grasp. Two police officers moved three dogs to safety while Kelly administered oxygen to the overcome felines, then went back in and put out the fire with a kitchen sink sprayer.  "This guy was like Superman," said Port St. Lucie police Cmdr. Chuck Johnson. "He got the animals out, brought them back to life and put the fire out, too."  Kelly, not eager to become a hero, was quick to share credit for the happy ending with Officers James Golson and Marty Curran, who rescued three dogs from an adjoining room and kept the burning room lit up with their flashlights as they urged Kelly to stay low and avoid inhaling too much smoke.  The incident began about 10:30 p.m. when police and Kelly received a call saying the burglar alarm at Kelly's Animal Hospital, 1861 Gatlin Blvd., had gone off.  "I thought it was just another false alarm, but I raced over there anyway, because it was a "glass-break' alarm," Kelly said.  Actually, the smoke detector had gone off, triggering the burglar alarm, he said. An electrical short caused the fire, officials said.  When he and the officers arrived, smoke was pouring from the eaves of the examining room, he said.  "This room was filled with heavy, heavy smoke," Johnson said. "The officers moved the dogs out while Dr. Kelly treated the cats. He put the animals first, with little regard for his asthma and that heavy smoke."  Kelly was still sneezing from the smoke Tuesday, he admitted.  One of the cats he revived belongs to his brother,Kevin, an Assistant United States Attorney, who flew him in from San Diego so Kelly could treat it.  "This cat has heart, liver and thyroid disease," he said, but "13-year-old Peno survived, and is doing well."  For Peggy Haluska and her 10-year-old daughter, Melissa, the entire incident was amazing, she said.  Just two weeks ago, the family adopted a 4-month-old kitten, Haluska said. Their kitten, Sassy, was one of the three Kelly revived.  "We were a little bit shocked by the whole thing," Haluska said. "But my daughter was relieved to hear he saved it." The kitten is taking medicine for  smoke inhalation, but is otherwise fine, she said.  "I was sitting here earlier feeling sorry for myself and then I realized how lucky I am," Kelly said Tuesday. "A lot of things went right."  Kelly gives credit to the police officers who helped him and to the firefighters who contained the fire to one room, he said.  "The officers stayed two hours past the end of their shift, holding my wife's hand and calming everyone down," he said.  The Animal Emergency and Referral Center in Fort Pierce took in the cats, bathed them and cared for them overnight. And a veterinarian from Stuart and one from Port St. Lucie called to offer assistance, Kelly said.  "When it comes to animals, people really go out of their way to make things right," he said.    News Channel 5 | Ft. Pierce News Jupiter Courier | Port St. Lucie News Sebastian Sun | The Stuart News Vero Beach Press Journal The E.W. Scripps Co.  [email protected]