Homeless veteran Tom and his dog Jake find help, new homes in Fort Worth
A formerly homeless dog and his owner now have a new lease on life, thanks to the Fort Worth Fire Department and a local nonprofit organization that helps veterans.
Early Saturday, May 16, a firefighter at Station 8 heard a dog whining outside the window, the department said in a Facebook post. Some crew members went to investigate, and found a pit bull tied to the station’s flagpole. A three-page letter stuffed inside a water bottle identified the animal as Jake.
“If you have a soul, and if you really care about helping babies, please help my baby,” the note read.
The dog’s owner, Tom, described himself as a 65-year-old disabled veteran. He ended up on the streets 20 months ago after an apartment manager refused to renew his lease.
“I can’t leave (Jake) alone to go do things for myself that I need to do to try to make a better life,” Tom wrote in the letter.
The Fort Worth Fire Department doesn’t accept surrendered animals, according to the post, but the Station 8 crew decided to adopt Jake after efforts to find him another home failed.
“There was something that just lined up with this particular story: the veteran in need, the hearts of the crews at the station and a smile on Jake that couldn’t be ignored,” the post reads.
In the meantime, some local organizations stepped in to help Jake’s owner, Tom. The Fort Worth Fire Department’s HOPE Team located the veteran and took him for a medical checkup, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.
Operation Texas Strong, a nonprofit organization that works with veterans, supplied Tom with an RV and found a space for him at an RV park in east Fort Worth, WFAA reported. He’s scheduled to move in Wednesday.
The firefighters said they’ve gotten attached to Jake. He seems to enjoy being with the crew and has an abundance of food, toys and treats.
“We are not asking for anything,” the crew said on Facebook. “We just thought we would tell you the story of how a heartbroken man made an incredibly tough decision and everything about the moment just lined up perfectly to work out right.”
