Brevard Station 40 Firefighters vs. Fugitive Pup: The Chase That Ended in a Hug

Brevard County Firefighters Rescue Duck — and Dog — in Unexpected Call

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – This morning started like any other. Until I opened my front door and saw a fire truck parked outside and two firefighters jumping out like they were on a mission. So, of course, I step out to see what in the world is going on.

What do I see? A tiny dog. Running full speed. Being chased by two full-grown firefighters.

Turns out this little guy, whose name we later found out is Bowie, was living his best life chasing Muscovy ducks down the street, and yes, he actually had his mouth on one of their butts.

That’s when the firefighters decided, “Nope, not today,” and pulled over to rescue the ducks and save the dog from getting into more trouble.

Well, as they’re chasing him, Bowie spots me and decides I’m apparently the safer option. He runs straight toward my house, and between the three of us, we corner him by my car. I managed to grab his collar (he was very offended at this, for the record).

Firefighters Jon Stallbaum and James Horst from Station 40 checked his tags, called the numbers, left messages, took a quick photo with their new buddy, and had to get back to the station. I brought Bowie onto my front patio and kept calling the numbers myself.

A few minutes later, a woman walked into my yard. She had spoken to the fire department, who told her Bowie was at my house. Right behind her, a truck pulls into my driveway.

Bowie’s mom jumps out, runs to him, scoops him up, and hugs him like she hadn’t taken a full breath since he went missing. It was the sweetest thing.

We even captured a photo of the happy reunion. And the funny part? No one had any idea this all happened at my house or that I’m the Vice President of Back Brevard Heroes. Life has a sense of humor like that. But today was a perfect reminder of why we support our first responders:

They don’t just protect people, they save runaway pups, protect ducks, and bring communities together, sometimes right in my own front yard.

~ Kimberley Tucker

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