Stray Dog Enjoys Spending Day With Firefighters: 'Like One of the Guys'

A stray dog in need of a new forever home was treated to a special day out at the fire station.

A pit bull who was affectionately christened "Blaze" by the internet spent the day with Brett Dugas and his fellow firefighters at Valley View Fire Department in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dugas has been a firefighter and paramedic for almost 12 years and, as the proud owner of two German shepherds, knows the important role that dogs can play in helping ease stress.

"Dogs have always been a special part of my life," Dugas told Newsweek. "With my girlfriend being a nurse and me being a fireman, sometimes what we see and go through at work can be a lot. The stress and things we carry with us not only physically and mentally can sometimes take a toll."

Dugas credits his two dogs, Olivia and Mya, with helping "make each day so much better." He said: "Coming home to them is the best feeling in the world. They give us so much laughter each and every day."

The stress-relieving qualities of interacting with dogs has been well documented. In 2019, researchers from Washington State University tested out the theory in an experiment that saw 249 students divided into four groups.

One group took part in a hands-on interaction with either dogs or cats for 10 minutes. A second group watched and waited for their turn, while a third group watched a slideshow featuring the same animals and a fourth group was simply "waitlisted."

The next day, scientists gathered salivary cortisol samples from the participants and found that those who interacted directly with the cats or dogs had significantly less cortisol, which is a major stress hormone, in their saliva. Researchers said that just 10 minutes of interaction with a cat or dog appeared to have a significant impact in reducing stress levels.

Dugas and his colleagues certainly got a lift from Blaze's visit, having first learned about the stray dog's situation from the police.

"The cops found him wandering the streets and were holding onto him while trying to find out if he was lost or missing," Dugas said. "The police officers were doing their best through social media and such to find out if anyone in our community or neighboring communities may know of his home or where he came from."

It was decided that, rather than be stuck in a crate, Blaze would "hang out" over at the fire station for the day. His experience was documented in a video shared to Dugas's TikTok account, @doglifewithbrett, and Instagram, @laughwithbrett.

"I took him on a little tour of the station. Showed him the trucks and my gear etc. He was so friendly and well behaved," Dugas said. "He seemed to be trained as he would sit on command, shake a paw and even potty on command."

Dugas and the rest of the fire crew also kept busy with games of fetch while Blaze quickly made friends with the firefighters on duty. "He was a big cuddler and would even jump into the recliners to curl up with us. He actually fell asleep in my lap and began to snore," Dugas said, adding: "Which made him fit in right away with the rest of us firemen!"

Dugas could tell Blaze loved every minute of his day there. "I think his favorite part of being at the fire station was just the attention he got," he said. "Our whole shift are dog lovers and animal lovers. So everyone was happy to play with him and have him hang out. He was so comfortable with us, almost like one of the guys, even in a short period of time."

Sadly, Blaze wasn't able to become a permanent resident at the fire station, but there was a happy ending to his story. "Our building commissioner in the city had heard about him," Dugas said. "He went to where the cops were holding him and fell in love immediately. He and his family decided to adopt him. I have been told they are very happy with him and have named him Tank!"

Dugas was keen to pay tribute to the police officer who brought him to their fire station and the family that ended up adopting Tank. "They are the heroes that truly helped this sweet dog," Dugas said. "I was simply one of the firefighters that was happy to spend some time with him.

"All in all an awesome day at the firehouse," he added. "Sometimes, it's the little things like this that make you feel like you are actually making a difference."