RIVERVIEW, Fla. - Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the Sheriff's Office, and the Pet Resource Center teamed up for the first-ever "Heroes and Hounds" event Saturday.
Held at a fire station in Riverview, there were adoptable dogs, fire trucks, and free ice cream. Fire crews also did demonstrations and shared safety tips.
"There's a lot of folks here. It's a pleasant surprise," Rob Herrin, public information section chief for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, said. "Dogs are a popular item. Fire Rescue and opening up the station are a popular item. You put those two together, and it's a pretty good recipe for a good turnout and citizen engagement."
The backstory:
The idea, spearheaded by county commissioner Chris Boles, aimed to bring awareness to both the community's first responders and the shelter dogs in desperate need of homes.
Within the first hour of the event, the Pet Resource Center said about 10 dogs had already been adopted.
"We're bringing more dogs from the Pet Resource Center," said Hillsborough County Pet Resource Division Director, Chelsea Waldeck, assuring the crowd there would be plenty of dogs to meet. "If people don't find their match here, that's completely fine. We will give directions back up to the Pet Resource Center with a voucher to go ahead and adopt one of the dogs there."
The event – which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.--also offered a unique chance for families to meet arson dogs, search and rescue dogs, and K9s with the Sheriff’s Office – some of the furry heroes working in law enforcement.
"Dogs are so versatile, and it's so cool to have these dogs that have a job out here, because you can give your dog a job at home as well," Waldeck added. "People don't realize that there are so many different things that you can do with your pets – agility, dock diving, Fast CAT."
Kids also had the chance to climb inside fire trucks, grab a free hot dog, and enjoy free ice cream from the Sheriff’s Office.
Organizers said they are already looking forward to making "Heroes and Hounds" an annual event.
The Source: This article was written using in-person interviews at the Heroes & Hounds event.