FOR RELEASE: February 20, 2009

City of Troy Fire Dog Retires After Eight Years of Service

(TROY, MI) – First Lieutenant Tonya Perry of the City of Troy Fire Department has announced the retirement of Faith the Fire Dog. Her last appearance will be for the Troy Senior Citizens on Feb. 23 at the Troy Community Center.

Born March 25, 2000, Faith, the popular red & white tri-colored Border Collie, began working for the Fire Department in January of 2001. She was only nine months old when first introduced at Community Kaleidoscope, an annual family event at the Troy Community Center.

During the last eight years, Faith has worked with her owner /handler Lt. Perry to educate more than 40,000 children and adults. She has appeared at pre-schools, churches, businesses and community events. Faith the Fire Dog has also worked in other cities for special events, including the employee picnic at Severstal North America, Inc.’s Dearborn steel factory. She even performed an educational program for Leader Dog for the Blind puppy owners at Groveland Oaks Park. She especially enjoyed working with special needs adults and children, and senior citizens.

A recent diagnosis of Addison’s Disease has forced Faith to hang up her fire prevention education collar. However, Faith’s important fire message of “once you’re out, stay out” will continue to echo in the minds of the countless number of individuals she educated, reminding them never to go back into a burning building.

Faith will continue to stay at her home, which she shares with Lt. Perry, in Troy. She hopes to fill her retirement with lots of fetch and Frisbee playing with neighborhood kids and herding the geese of Troy.