Firehouse dogs banned in Chicago after ‘Bones’ kills neighborhood dog
Ban has brought pushback from within and outside the Chicago Fire Department
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The Chicago Fire Department has decided to no longer permit dogs at firehouses following an incident in which a firehouse dog killed a family’s pet outside a fire station, according to department officials.
This past weekend, the firehouse dog at Engine 116, which is located at 60th Street and Ashland Avenue in West Englewood, got out and killed a small dog that was on a walk with someone, a CFD spokesman stated.
On Monday, Annette Nance-Holt, the acting fire commissioner, announced “any and all prior permissions for dogs in the fire stations or on fire apparatuses are hereby revoked,” according to a memo sent to department members.
Charles J. Johnson, Chicago Tribune:
A dog named Bones — believed by the Fire Department to be a mixed-breed stray taken off the street — was living at Engine 116 at 60th Street and Ashland Avenue when it got out and killed a small breed dog being walked in the area.
“I am as sad to see the dogs go as anyone. I live near 116 and was well aware of Bones and the longtime king of the house Salty,” Langford wrote. “I also feel the pain of the neighbor who watched as Bones attacked and killed her dog while she walked it past the firehouse over the weekend.
“Our hearts go out to the dog that passed away,” said Jim Tracy, president of the union that represents Chicago firefighters. “But our men and women deal with death every day. They deal with some of the most heartbreaking things you can possibly imagine. When you go on a run that might not have gone the right way — it might not be a comfort dog with all the papers, but it’s a comfort for them. It goes a long way.”
