FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Firefighters at Fort Worth Fire Station 8 in Fort Worth, Texas, found a dog tied to the flagpole outside the station on the morning of May 16 and have adopted him as the station dog. The dog, Jake, had been surrendered by a homeless veteran who left a note in a water bottle nearby.

Early that Saturday morning, a crew member at Station 8 heard a dog whining outside his bedroom window. A few crew members went outside to investigate.

"They went out to the front door and there was a dog tied to the flagpole and there was a note on him, and that was Jake," firefighter Jeremy Goad said. The station, located at West Rosedale Street and 12th Avenue, is designated as a safe place for mothers in crisis to surrender newborns.

The note was written by a 65-year-old homeless veteran identified as Tom, who had been living on the streets for 20 months after his landlord did not renew his lease. Tom had set up camp in Fort Worth with Jake. "I have nothing but my baby Jake," he wrote. "If you have a soul and really care about helping babies, please help my baby," Tom wrote.

Spouses and co-workers of the firefighters posted photos and the note online in hopes of finding Jake a home, but none of the inquiries turned into a permanent placement. All three shifts at Station 8 worked at least one day with Jake and agreed to take him in as their own. The Fort Worth Fire Department does not normally accept surrendered animals and said Jake's adoption is an exception.

Jake has since been given a bath in the truck room, is being vaccinated, and is receiving food, treats, and toys. "It's great. He's being showered with love," Goad said. "Definitely a boost in morale. Everybody just loves having him."

After learning about the note, the Fort Worth Fire Department HOPE Team — Home Outreach Prevention and Education, formed in 2019 — began searching for Tom. The team, which monitors homeless camps in a city with an estimated homeless population of more than 5,000, provides medical and mental health assistance, drug and alcohol treatment, housing, and job placement. The outreach team found Tom at his camp and took him for medical checkups on Tuesday.

Operation Texas Strong, a nonprofit that helps veterans and people in crisis, provided Tom with an RV and arranged a space at an RV park in East Fort Worth. He is expected to move into his new home on Wednesday. "We just thought we would tell you the story of how a heartbroken man made an incredibly tough decision and everything about the moment just lined up perfectly to work out right," Fort Worth Fire Station 8 said.