As the fire department’s therapy dog, Koda is not new to serving her people and her community. This five-year-old golden retriever loves helping her fur dad, Deputy Fire Marshal Jonathan Gilliam, teach the community about fire safety.
The fire department usually assigns this hard-working pooch with low-stress tasks or duties. However, it wasn’t long ago when this good girl faced an emergency with her dad at the fire department.
While cleaning up at the department after an event, Gilliam briefly stepped outside the building; however, the door suddenly shut behind him. He tried using his keycard, but it did not work. He then called the dispatch center located in the building.
While waiting for help, the fur dad peered through the door and saw Koda. That was when he came up with another idea. He wondered if his dog could open the door.
Gilliam knocked on the door, which made Koda excited. The cheerful dog responded to his knock by jumping up and pressing the door bar, thus unlocking it. Koda’s dad was amazed since that was the first time she had done or even attempted to do that.
Once he was inside, Gilliam figured out that the keyless entry system of the building was down. Thus, if the dispatch team had gone out to help him, they would have also been locked out.
The goldie’s mighty jump effectively saved her dad and other staff from chaos. Although she could never know the weight of her actions, Koda met her dad’s gratefulness with a wagging tail.
Since the incident, Koda has gone back to other small assignments. However, she continues to be praised by her fellow firefighters.
This story shows how our fur companions can help in times of need. And this is despite how unexpected the circumstances may be.
Credits to Georgetown Texas Fire Department
