A happy Pit Bull named Ashley roams the kitchen in a New York firehall, completely at home with her surroundings. It’s a far cry from her life a month ago when she was found starving inside of an abandoned “crack house” by animal rescuers Erica Mahnken and her fiancé, Michael Favor in Staten Island, New York. The two found Ashley starving and covered in cigarette burns and she had been left without food, water or heat.
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“We didn’t ask any questions when the person called us and told us the dog was alone,” Mahnken told CBS News. “It was freezing out. There was nothing in the house. No, we didn’t think about it — we just ran and got her and said we’ll figure out what we were going to do after we got her out of there.”
Ashley was 25 pounds underweight and needed a foster home, where she could recover. The couple, who started a foster-based rescue, No More Pain Rescue, didn’t have a home available so they turned to friends from a Lower East Side FDNY station called “Fort Pitt.” The firefighters there had previously housed a Rottweiler.
Within three days, the firefighters asked if they could keep Ashley. Needless to say, Mahnken enthusiastically agreed. Now, the one-year-old Pit Bull is gaining weight (she is up to 50 pounds) and has a new family. She also has an adorable Instagram account, where they share photos of her adventures at the station.
She is proudly one of the team. and has become the firehouse’s official dog.
She loves getting back scratches.
And hugs…
More hugs…
And hanging out in the kitchen with her pals.
Hmm. Bagels.
Hmm. Blueberries.
She also loves to go on ride-alongs with the firefighters.
She has her own special spot on the fire truck.
She’s even got her own special uniform.
On duty.
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