Imagine a little furball with a boxer-dachshund-beagle mix, stuck in a boiling car on a hot summer day.
Not a pretty sight.
That’s exactly what happened to a puppy named Riggs in East Haven, Connecticut.
But don’t worry, this story has a happy ending—thanks to some big-hearted firefighters who not only saved the pup but also gave him a forever home at their station!
East Haven Fire Chief Matthew Marcarelli recalls the fateful day—August 20, when the weather was sweltering.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures were soaring in the 80s.
“A passerby noticed the dog was in the car on the floor near the seat and hunkering down underneath the dashboard,” Marcarelli said.
Despite attempts to find the car and dog’s owners on the beach, no one stepped up.
That’s when the fire department and animal control were called to the scene.
Breaking into the hot car, the rescuers found Riggs, who was about 6 months old, clearly struggling.
Marcarelli noted that the pup had started to “show some signs of distress” as temperatures inside the car had shot up to a sizzling 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The windows were only open a tiny bit, so it wasn’t really getting any air,” he said.
So why was Riggs left in such a dire situation?
Marcarelli has a theory.
“We suspect that the owners of Riggs may have tried to go to the beach and were turned away when they had a pet—because pets are not allowed on the beach—and went back to their car and locked him in, and then went back to the beach,” he speculated.
After being rescued, Riggs was initially taken to a local animal shelter.
His owners eventually came forward, but they chose to surrender him.
The adorable furball was then escorted to the town hall where he met with Marcarelli and East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora.
A photo caption in the original article noted that Riggs has a “very friendly personality.”
Marcarelli was immediately smitten by Riggs’ charm.
“Once I saw his personality and everything, [I] really started to get my gears turning about bringing him back here as a station support dog,” he said.
According to the fire chief, Riggs has a “very welcoming” and “very friendly” demeanor, complete with “a laissez-faire attitude.”
Before making it official, the fire department had a ‘trial period’ where Riggs stayed at the station for four days.
Marcarelli said that during this time, “Riggs struck a chord with everybody.”
When asked if the crew wanted to keep Riggs as their support dog, the response was “overwhelmingly” yes.
But Riggs isn’t just going to be a cuddly mascot; he’s set to play an important role.
Marcarelli plans to train Riggs to accompany staff to community events and offer mental health support.
“How we envision his role is to endear himself to the personnel and it helps them mitigate with the stressors of the business … post-traumatic stress … [Riggs] allows them to redirect their energy from that into the dog,” Marcarelli explained.
As heartwarming as Riggs’ story is, Marcarelli reminds everyone that leaving a pet in a locked, hot car is downright dangerous.
“You can’t leave a pet in a car. The temperature skyrockets in a vehicle when it’s warm out,” he warned.
Just a day after Riggs’ rescue, the department saved another dog, a pit bull, in a similar situation.
“Dogs in particular are subject to dehydration fairly quickly. They don’t perspire so they require their ability to breathe and the use of their tongue and hyperventilation to cool themselves off. So, if they’re locked in the car, there’s no way that’s going to happen.”
See Riggs as a vital new team member of the fire department in the video below.
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