Stray Dog Walks Into Fire Station and Wins Over Every Firefighter

When Cookie Marie, a black and tan dog, appeared at the fire station in Montgomery County, Texas, in September, she made herself right at home. She lay down on the floor in the middle of the fire hall as if she belonged there. The staff of Montgomery County Emergency Service District 9 (ESD 9) noticed she didn’t have a collar or tags, she had a funny head tilt, and she was in no hurry to go anywhere. Unsure what to make of the friendly stray, they gave her some water and food.

Montgomery County Emergency Service District 9

“Several months ago, a stray dog found her way into Station 81. She had no collar or identification, but she quickly made herself at home and captured the hearts of our firefighters and medics,” Montgomery County ESD 9, wrote on Facebook. “Over time, she became a source of comfort and joy to our crews, almost a therapy dog in her own right.”

“We kind of thought that she’d wander back off or somebody would come looking for her,” Raymond Flannelly, Fire Chief at Montgomery County ESD 9, told The Dodo. “But that never happened.”

Within a few days, Cookie Marie became everyone’s best friend. She developed her own rhythm.

“She has a unique routine: every morning, she walks our employees to their cars as they leave for the day, then returns to the apparatus bay to wait patiently for the next person to head out,” Montogomery county ESD 9 wrote. “Her presence has brought a remarkable sense of warmth and companionship to the station.”

When the chief suggested they should find Cookie Marie a home because of the station’s no-dog policy, the reaction was immediate. “Oh my gosh, they’d rather me retire and keep the dog,” Chief Flannelly noted.

During her stay, Cookie Marie was free to come and go but the staff “had started pooling funds to install an electric fence to keep her safe and out of the roadway.” But they didn’t get the fence up in time. One day she arrived at the gate visibly limping.

They brought her to the vet, where it was determined she had been hit by a car (she had also been hit by a car some years earlier) and fractured her leg. She needed surgery but also permission from her owners – the ones registered on her microchip! “We were able to have her scanned and discovered she has a microchip registered to a previous owner in California,” the fire station revealed. “After contacting them, we learned that due to medical reasons they are not able to care for her any longer.”

When her family learned what had happened, and how much the fire station staff had cared for her, they agreed to sign over ownership to the station’s administrative officer.

Cookie Marie is now healing after her surgery — back at the station. She is now convalescing inside the station, with people ensuring she rests and heals properly.

And because the station is staffed 24/7, Cookie Marie has officially become part of the ESD 9 team.

Cookie is enjoying the holidays and even has her own Instagram page.