Last week, a concerned citizen in East Haven, Connecticut, notified authorities of a puppy locked inside a car parked near the beach. Animal control officers responded and called in the East Haven Fire Department, who rescued the six-month-old dachshund-boxer-beagle mix from the 122-degree car. After the pup’s owner surrendered him to animal control, the city received a number of requests for the town to adopt him.
Eventually it was decided that the pup would be adopted by the fire department to serve as a Station Support Dog. His new job is to help firefighters unwind and cope with job-related stress. Then the city started an online poll to give the pup a name and after receiving thousands of votes, “Riggs” was announced as the winning name.
East Haven Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli says Riggs will “live among the crews and will serve as a welcomed and friendly distraction from the trauma experienced in the course of their duties.” And East Haven Mayor Joseph A Carfora believes that the pup’s "great temperament" will make him an excellent “ambassador to the department at public education and community events." He adds, "Riggs is an Eastie now."
Source: CT INSIDER
Photo: Przemysław Iciak / iStock / Getty Images