New Yorkers & Pets
New Yorkers revere pets like no other place on earth. A city known for its hard-scrabble residents, gleaming towers, and dirty sidewalks wouldn’t seem like an ideal place for an innocent kitten or arthritic pooch. But it is. New Yorkers love animals for various reasons – and many of those reasons are unique to New York itself. Yogi, the firehouse dog for Engine Company 74 on West 83rd Street, was such a beloved pet.
NYC Resilience & Loyalty
New York City is resilient. From 9-11 to COVID-19, the citizens of New York City who never left the City understand loyalty. The residents loyal to the City often stay because they feel some strange devotion to the realness of NYC, even when it is cruel to them. The resiliency of New Yorkers has been tested time and time again – from summer blackouts to winter whiteouts and economic recessions to emotional depressions. But there is something special about the bond between New Yorkers and the City. Just as there is something special about the bond between people and pets. New York City and pets get along like a dog park and November sunshine.
Yogi, Firehouse Dog for Engine Company 74
Yogi, the Dalmatian who was a celebrated presence in the lives and missions at Engine Company 74, died at the age of 15 in January 2020. Yogi was part of a storied legacy of beloved Dalmatians at Engine Company 74, respectively named Sparky, Chloe, and Buddy. Their spirits and influence are captured in the artfully canine fire hydrant just outside of the popular firehouse in the Upper West Side neighborhood.
In New York City, true neighborhoods still exist, and the people, pets, and personalities that inhabit those neighborhoods become part of the everyday fabric of existence.
Before Yogi the dog became part of Company 74’s soul and the greater community, there was Yogi, the person. That distinguished person was named Ruben Correa, a firefighter for Company 74 who earned the nickname Yogi while playing softball with his firehouse teammates. Correa, along with many of his brethren, died on September 11, 2001. He will never be forgotten.
[More pet loss advice, insights, and resources: How to Write a Pet Eulogy, Pet Loss Condolences: What to Say and How to Say It, and Life After Loss: 5 Signs It’s Time for a New Pet.]
A Community of Pets & People
Yogi the Dalmatian was loved by both his firehouse and neighborhood. Not only would the firefighters of Engine Company 74 take Yogi on exercise runs and weekend trips, but they leaned on Yogi for psychological comfort after stressful EMS events and dangerous fire calls and difficult days on the job. The neighborhood families also loved Yogi and would encourage him to ring the firehouse bell – one of Yogi’s many tricks – as they passed by the firehouse. Yogi also helped teach kids about fire safety and best practices to avoid harm and smoke inhalation during fire events.
Sadly, Yogi – like everything in life – eventually grew old. He could no longer scramble into firetrucks as part of the team and rush off to help save lives and property. Engine Company 74 even launched a fundraising campaign to address Yogi’s failing health. Alas, Yogi’s pain became too much, and the aging dog was lovingly handed over to the afterlife. Yogi was clearly cherished by the people around him. As was Ruben Correa. Perhaps they are together now, the two Yogis, looking down on Engine Company 74, and smiling.
Why Were Dalmatians Chosen as Firehouse Dogs?
The relationship between Dalmatians and firehouses actually began with Dalmatians and horses. Before the invention of motorized transportation, fire departments relied on horse-drawn carriages to transport their men and equipment. For centuries, Dalmatians had an established reputation for working well with horses. Unlike many other breeds of dogs, Dalmatians had an instinct that allowed them to keep pace with running horses; in fact, the bond between Dalmatians and horses was so strong that Dalmatians had been known to protect horses from other threatening animals – such as aggressive dogs – which were more prevalent in the 1700 and 1800s.
Fire departments, which were dependent on the power and versatility of horses, wisely adopted Dalmatians into their processes and workforces. Dalmatians became an integral part of expediting horse-drawn fire carriages to fire emergencies – from warning passersby that a team of horses was about to race a group of firefighters and equipment out of an alarm-filled fire station to running alongside the fire crew and horses to the emergency scene. Dalmatians also provided comfort and courage to horses which, like most living beings, are naturally afraid of spreading fires.
Traditions & Advancing Technologies
Though technological advances made horse-drawn carriages obsolete, Dalmatians continued to be an important part of fire crews, offering the firefighters companionship during the down hours, and even acting as guard dogs for their personal belongings while they attended to fighting fires. Many fire departments still bring beloved Dalmatians on service calls – sometimes you can see their heads poking from the rushing and whirling firetruck’s window – for the same historic reasons: Dalmatians are loyal, team-oriented, and make us feel better protected when life gets dangerous.
RIP Yogi. Comforter. Protector. Guardian of the good.
[Visit more dog eulogies, dog funerals, and dog obituaries.]