The City of Brownwood’s arson dog Nika has been nominated for a Hero Dog Award from the American Humane Society.
Help honor heroes on both ends of the leash by voting for your Hero Dog in the 2015 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™! The first round of voting to determine the top three semi-finalists in each category will remain open from March 9th to May 15th, 2015. Individuals who are at least 18 years of age and reside in the United States may vote for one dog per category each day.
The AMA is honoring specially trained canine helpers in each of the following categories: emerging dog heroes, search and rescue dogs, guide/hearing dogs, military dogs, therapy dogs, service dogs, arson dogs, and law enforcement dogs.
In his nomination of Nika, Brownwood Fire Marshal Buddy Preston wrote:
“I have been the Fire Marshal for the City of Brownwood with over 30 years in fire service. In 2011, an opportunity was presented to me that would change my life and the lives of my family. I was partnered with an arson canine dog named Nika. Nika would come live with me and my family in our home 24/7. This was an enormous under taking and four years later, I can say this partnership has been an exceptional adventure.
Nika has proved to be a valuable tool in fire investigations. She works fire scenes for the City of Brownwood, Brown County, and 5 surrounding counties. During her arson career she has successfully worked over 160 fire scenes. Her accurate and precise fire training is responsible for suspicious fire count to drop drastically. She has definitely become a deterrent to arson related fires in our area.
Her calm and pleasant demeanor has led her to become a trusted partner when working with children and the elderly alike. She is able to demonstrate her fire detection skills at nursing homes, schools, businesses, and other local organizations. Because she is such a trusted partner, Fire Prevention awareness has greatly increased in our community leading to safer homes and fewer structural fires. Nika is a trusted and competent partner with whom I enjoy working with on a daily basis.”
The public is encouraged to go online and vote daily to show support for Nika and the Brownwood Fire Department. CLICK HERE to vote for Nika.