The Fort Worth Fire Department has adopted a dog named Jake, who was left at one of its stations by a homeless veteran, and is now working to connect the dog’s former owner with housing and medical care.
According to a Facebook post from the department, Jake was found tied to a flagpole outside Station 8 on May 16, along with a bottle of water and a handwritten note.
The note was written by a veteran identified as Tom, who explained that he could no longer care for the dog while he tried to get help for himself.
“If you really care about helping babies, please help my baby,” Tom wrote, describing the decision to give up Jake as the hardest he had ever made.
Firefighters and their spouses initially searched for a permanent home for the dog but were unsuccessful. On Tuesday, the department announced it would keep Jake at the station.
“He’s a fixture here already, and we love him,” members of the department told Fox 4 KDFW.
The department’s Homeless Outreach Program and Enforcement team, known as the HOPE Team, conducted a medical assessment for Tom on Tuesday and began linking him with services.
“While the guys here at Station 8 have done a great job with Jake, my team’s thing is for those experiencing homelessness,” said Lt. Sam Greif of the HOPE Team, per Fox 4. “So we’ve met with him, we’re getting him connected to the resources that he needs and hopefully getting his life back on track.”
Greif said Tom had viewed the dog as his child and struggled with the decision to part with him.
The HOPE Team secured an RV for Tom through Operation Texas Strong, an organization that assists homeless veterans. Delivery of the RV was expected on Wednesday.
Department officials said they would welcome the possibility of Tom one day reclaiming Jake, but the dog will have a permanent place at the station regardless.
“Tom poured a lot of love into that dog, and you know, that would be a fitting end to the story,” said Dusty Sides, the A Shift Captain at Station 8, per Fox 4. “Dogs have a way about them. They connect, I think, in ways that we don’t connect with each other, so he’s pretty special.”
The department said community members who want to help Tom can contribute to Operation Texas Strong, which is assisting with his housing.
