Fort Worth Fire Department adopts homeless veteran's dog, helps former owner get back on track

FORT WORTH, Texas - The newest member of the Fort Worth Fire Department is a dog named Jake, and the department is helping Jake's former owner get the help he needs.

Fort Worth Fire Department adopts furry friend

What we know:

The Fort Worth Fire Department announced on Facebook that it had officially adopted Jake, a dog left at Station 8 over the weekend.

Fort Worth FD said that the dog was left chained to a flagpole at their station on May 16 with a bottle of water and a letter.

The letter was from a homeless veteran named Tom, who said he was unable to care for Jake if he planned on getting the help he needed.

Tom said in the letter, "If you really care about helping babies, please help my baby." He said giving Jake up was the hardest decision he'd ever had to make, but wanted him in a safe place.

Firefighters and their spouses worked to find a home for Jake but were unable to find anywhere to rehome him. On Tuesday, the department said they had officially taken him in as one of their own.

Helping Jake's former owner

What they're saying:

"He's a fixture here already, and we love him."

Members of Fort Worth FD tell FOX 4's Amelia Jones it feels like Jake has been a member of the crew for a long time, and that he fit right in with the team.

However, the department wanted to help out Jake's former owner too. The department's Homeless Outreach Program and Enforcement team, known as the HOPE Team, performed a medical assessment for Tom on Tuesday.

"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 with the HOPE Team "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."

"In talking with Tom, it was a hard decision to let Jake go, but he looked at it as a child."

The HOPE Team was able to find an RV for Tom through Operation Texas Strong, an organization that helps homeless veterans. The team expects the RV to be delivered on Wednesday.

What's next:

The team would love to see Tom be able to take Jake back one day, but will always have a place for Jake in their fire department.

"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.

"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."

What you can do:

Fort Worth FD says many have reached out on what they can do to help Jake, but rest assured, he is more taken care of than ever.

The department says if you would like to help Tom, you can donate to Operation Texas Strong, who is helping Tom with housing.

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