There’s a new furry member who is part of the fire crew at a Connecticut fire department. Meet Riggs.
Riggs now calls the Town of East Haven Fire Department home after being rescued from a hot car. Recently, firefighters were called by local animal control officers to help them open a car to get at the puppy trapped inside. The temperature inside the vehicle was a sweltering 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). Luckily, the puppy was saved in time. Authorities eventually tracked down the pup’s owners, who were encouraged to surrender Riggs or face charges so that’s how Riggs ended up for adoption.
When Matt Marcarelli, East Haven’s fire chief, heard that Riggs was up for adoption he and the station house had an idea. They thought Riggs might make a good Station Support Dog. Marcarelli told news outlets that firefighters endure a lot of stress and trauma in the line of duty so fire departments across the country are adopting dogs as emotional support animals.
Since Riggs arrived at FireHouse 1 this past week, Riggs has been fully embraced by the firefighters who absolutely love him and say he is already making a huge difference to their work days. And they notice Riggs is very happy with his new home and loves everyone he meets.
As for Riggs’ name? It was chosen by the public. “Rigs” is slang for a fire truck.
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