Arkansas Fire Safety Dog "Tango" Up for Hero Award
By: KARK 4 News, Little Rock
Updated: April 4, 2012
An Arkansas fire safety dog is nominated for a national canine award.
Tango, a Dalmatian from Clarksville (Johnson County), has been nominated for the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award.
Tango's fire safety efforts have reached tens of thousands of children across the United States and throughout the world.
Tango's handler, firefighter Dayna Hilton, says she was notified that Tango's nomination was accepted in the "Emerging Hero Dogs" category. According to the American Humane Association, "Emerging heroes category, includes ordinary dogs who you think have made an extraordinary difference in your life."
Born one month before 9/11, Tango, now ten and a half, has been helping teach fire safety to children and adults in the hopes of helping save lives, reduce injuries and fire losses. A spokes dog for the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and fire service dog for Johnson County RFD #1, Tango was given to Hilton in 2008 to help with fire safety programming, after her dog, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, was unable to travel.
Tango and Sparkles spent thousands of hours together, helping teach fire safety across the country, until Sparkles crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2010.
After Sparkles' passing, Hilton watched as Tango became, according to Hilton, "A completely different dog." "It was amazing to see as Tango effortlessly assumed the role that Sparkles once had. I couldn't believe the change in him and it gave my heart great joy as I watched him help carry on the tradition of helping save lives by helping train a new fire safety puppy, Siren. Tango has been incredibly gentle with Siren and has helped mentor Siren to grow up to teach fire safety to children and their caregivers, just like him, and Sparkles before him."
Hilton says Tango works hard and tirelessly to help educate children and adults through the work of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, a public charity founded in honor of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. In addition to appearing at events across the United States, Tango Skypes weekly to children during Sparkles' Fire Safety Skype Tour and participates in Sparkles' Safety Spot, a live streamed fire safety program on the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation's SparklesTV.
Tango also shares his adventures and fire safety tips on his Facebook page (click here) and is contributing columnist on a national column, Sparkles' Kids Zone of Fire Engineering Magazine's firelife.com.
There are eight categories in the contest in which dogs compete. They include: law enforcement/arson dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, hearing dogs, emerging hero dogs, military dogs, guide dogs and search and rescue dogs. Winners of each category are honored on national television in Hollywood. A panel of judges that include celebrities as well as dog experts will pick an overall winner.
Voting for the Hero Dogs contest is now underway through June 30 (one vote allowed per day per email address).
Click here to see Tango's profile and to give him your vote.
Tango, a Dalmatian from Clarksville (Johnson County), has been nominated for the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award.
Tango's fire safety efforts have reached tens of thousands of children across the United States and throughout the world.
Tango's handler, firefighter Dayna Hilton, says she was notified that Tango's nomination was accepted in the "Emerging Hero Dogs" category. According to the American Humane Association, "Emerging heroes category, includes ordinary dogs who you think have made an extraordinary difference in your life."
Born one month before 9/11, Tango, now ten and a half, has been helping teach fire safety to children and adults in the hopes of helping save lives, reduce injuries and fire losses. A spokes dog for the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and fire service dog for Johnson County RFD #1, Tango was given to Hilton in 2008 to help with fire safety programming, after her dog, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, was unable to travel.
Tango and Sparkles spent thousands of hours together, helping teach fire safety across the country, until Sparkles crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2010.
After Sparkles' passing, Hilton watched as Tango became, according to Hilton, "A completely different dog." "It was amazing to see as Tango effortlessly assumed the role that Sparkles once had. I couldn't believe the change in him and it gave my heart great joy as I watched him help carry on the tradition of helping save lives by helping train a new fire safety puppy, Siren. Tango has been incredibly gentle with Siren and has helped mentor Siren to grow up to teach fire safety to children and their caregivers, just like him, and Sparkles before him."
Hilton says Tango works hard and tirelessly to help educate children and adults through the work of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, a public charity founded in honor of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. In addition to appearing at events across the United States, Tango Skypes weekly to children during Sparkles' Fire Safety Skype Tour and participates in Sparkles' Safety Spot, a live streamed fire safety program on the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation's SparklesTV.
Tango also shares his adventures and fire safety tips on his Facebook page (click here) and is contributing columnist on a national column, Sparkles' Kids Zone of Fire Engineering Magazine's firelife.com.
There are eight categories in the contest in which dogs compete. They include: law enforcement/arson dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, hearing dogs, emerging hero dogs, military dogs, guide dogs and search and rescue dogs. Winners of each category are honored on national television in Hollywood. A panel of judges that include celebrities as well as dog experts will pick an overall winner.
Voting for the Hero Dogs contest is now underway through June 30 (one vote allowed per day per email address).
Click here to see Tango's profile and to give him your vote.
