Pup Rescued From Blazing Hot Car Adopted By East Haven Fire Department

EAST HAVEN, CT —Though the six-month-old dachshund-boxer-beagle mix and East Haven's mayor may have bonded, the puppy has moved into a new place very close to Town Hall.

Rescued by firefighters last Sunday from a locked car, where the temperature was 122 degrees, the dog quickly became sought-after.

Patch learned that the East Haven fire and police departments were eying him as a mascot. Firefighters won out. He'll live at fire department headquarters and will fulfill the honorable role of a "Station Support Dog."

Station support dogs serve a role in a modern fire department to help firefighters cope with the stressors of the job. They can help to mitigate the debilitating effects of stress and post-traumatic stress, which firefighters are routinely exposed to in the course of their duties.

He needs a name! Vote here.

East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora, who immediately took a liking to the puppy and vice versa, fielded numerous calls for him to be adopted by the town. Both Police Chief Ed Lennon and Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli were in favor of the idea.

Ultimately, the police department decided to let him call the fire headquarters home.

“He has a great temperament and will get along with the on-duty crews as well as be an ambassador to the department at public education and community events,” Carfora said.

His veterinary care, food, and other expenses will be funded through donations.

“Our yet to be named puppy will live among the crews and will serve as a welcomed and friendly distraction from the trauma experienced in the course of their duties," Marcarelli said.

Speaking of stressful ordeals, when discovered by an alert citizen, he was locked inside a very hot car near the Town Beach. East Haven Animal Control was called, and the officer made an attempt to find the vehicle's owner on the beach, but no one stepped up, Carfora said.

Animal Control Officer Monica Vece contacted the fire department to get the car open and rescue the dog. Carfora told Patch the temperature inside the car was 122 degrees. Brought to the East Haven Animal Shelter to be checked out, Carfora said he was "in really good health."

The good boy went from what could have been a tragic situation to one where his forever home will be among first responders. First responders who met the pup and fell instantly in love and overwhelmingly voted to make him their own after Animal Control Officer Emily Higgins brought the pup to fire houses across East Haven to meet firefighters to see if the pooch was a "good fit." He was.

"We even have a hydrant out back for him," Marcarelli said.

Now, he needs a name. And since so many East Haveners have already made suggestions after the Patch story last week, Marcarelli is asking for the public to help name their new station support dog.

Vote here. Choose from a list of names put forward by the firefighters.

Those names are:

• Cinder
• Jake (a common name for firefighters)
• Spartan (the brand of fire trucks used in East Haven)
• Riggs (common name for a fire truck)
• Ash

A formal introduction with his new name will be coming soon. but for now, we'll just call him Good Boy.