Tag: Connecticut

86 Puppies Rescued from Pet Store Fire

 

Firefighters and dozens of good Samaritans showed plenty of love for puppies this week by forming a human chain to rescue 86 of them that were trapped inside the Puppy Love pet store as a fire burned behind it in Danbury, Conn.

When they heard someone yell about a fire around 9 p.m. Thursday night, Danbury residents Eric Walsh and Jonathan Jimenez, who were having dinner at the pizzeria next door, were the first heroes to break in and start saving lives. Other customers, employees and passersby quickly joined them, including people driving by who stopped their cars in the middle of the street and ran in to help. Firefighters arrived on the scene within just a couple of minutes.

The puppies were quickly wheeled out of the store in crates that were attached to pallets. Amazingly, none of them were injured, thanks to the quick action of all those heroes, who were also unharmed.

“All the restaurants emptied. People worked together to save these dogs,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told WABC. “It was an amazing sight to see.”

A veterinarian called it a miracle. “All the puppies were out on the street, every one of them safe,” Jeffery Hubshur told WABC. “It gives you faith in people. What a place Danbury is.”

The fire started in a storage shed connected to the back of the store that’s owned by a utility company, Puppy Love owner Sean Silverman told the News-Times.

“All of our puppies are safe, warm and happily ate an extra dinner tonight!” Puppy Love later posted on its Facebook page.

According to the Puppy Love Facebook page, the store is family owned and has been in business since 1996. The puppies it sells are “from very reputable breeders located all over the country. Many of which have dogs in their breeding programs that are OFA [Orthopedic Foundation for Animals] certified,” meaning they have been checked for hip dysplasia and other health issues.

Across the country in California, a new law went into effect Jan. 1 that allows pet stores to only sell dogs (as well as cats and rabbits) from animal shelters or nonprofit animal rescue organizations. Unfortunately, many pet stores sell animals obtained from puppy mills, breeding facilities in which the dogs are usually kept in horrible conditions. California is the first state to enact a law like this, and it hopefully won’t be the last.

Photo: Eyewitness News ABC7NY/YouTube

 

4-Legged War Hero Sgt. Stubby Gets His Own Monument in Connecticut

Over a century after he bravely served in World War I, Sgt. Stubby, the most decorated war dog in U.S. history and the only one to be promoted to sergeant, is finally being honored with a monument.

The life-size bronze sculpture “Stubby Salutes” was unveiled over Memorial Day weekend in Veterans Memorial Park in Middleton, Conn. — Stubby’s home state.

Stubby, who is believed to have been a Boston Terrier/Pit Bull mix, was rescued in 1917 when John Robert Conroy, a soldier training for World War I combat, saw the stray dog on a field at Yale University. When Conroy’s unit was shipped off to France, he wrapped Stubby in an overcoat and smuggled him aboard. Conroy taught the dog to salute his commanding officer, which was so endearing that the officer allowed Stubby to stay.

Stubby became the “unofficial official mascot” of the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division. As he recuperated after being hit in the leg by a grenade, he kept other injured soldiers company and helped lift their spirits.

After his leg healed, he returned to the trenches and survived being sprayed with mustard gas. He was able to use his sense of smell and what he learned from this experience to help warn his fellow soldiers of impending gas attacks, and saved many lives. His excellent hearing allowed him to detect the whine of artillery before the soldiers could. He’d bark to warn them to take cover, saving even more lives.

Among his other heroic deeds were capturing a German spy by the seat of his pants, and allegedly preventing a little girl from getting hit by a car in Paris.

After he died in 1926, Stubby was stuffed and his body is on display in the exhibit “The Price of Freedom” at the Smithsonian Institution. Last month, the animated movie “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero,” which told the story about this amazing dog, premiered in theaters.

For decades, members of Conroy’s family have been trying to create a memorial for the hero dog. “Stubby Salutes,” a fitting tribute, was sculpted by artist Susan Barary. She’s known about Stubby for 25 years and has wanted to create a sculpture of him for a long time, the Hartford Courant reports. She said she’s inspired by the bond between people and animals, as well as the love between Stubby and his fellow soldiers.

A plaque on the statue’s pedestal says Stubby is “America’s First Dog of Service” and served with his friends “in their battles, hardships, sorrows and joys. He was a morale booster.”

The $80,000 statue was paid with donations, including $30,000 from the nonprofit U.S. War Dog Association, which honors U.S. military dogs and their handlers. Conroy’s family hopes that interest in Stubby will raise awareness and support of organizations that train service dogs for veterans. You can find out more at sergeantstubbysalutes.org.

Barary’s statue “nailed it,” Conroy’s grandson, Curt Deane, told the Hartford Courant. “I couldn’t be happier.”

More About the Amazing Sgt. Stubby:

Photo: WTNH News 8/YouTube

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