Why is that dog's picture on a whiskey bottle? Meet Dodger, a hurricane hero
In honor of National Rescue Dog Day on May 20, TINCUP Whiskey is featuring Dodger, a Belgian Malinois who supported relief work in Florida after being rescued and trained to visit disaster sites by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF). It's part of the company's new campaign, TINPUP.
"TINCUP and SDF are working together to give Dodger the recognition he deserves as a local hero," the company said in a release, as part of "an often-overlooked group of first responders."
Dodger was born to be a first responder, TINCUP said in an announcement. "At only three months old, Dodger showed strong focus - the perfect fit for rescues!"
Dodger was deployed in October 2024 to help with Hurricane Milton rescue missions, TINCUP said. The powerful storm slammed into the Florida peninsula as a Category 3 hurricane, causing major damage along the west coast.
Milton is estimated to have caused $34.3 billion in damage in the United States, almost all in Florida. The storm was responsible for 15 direct deaths — 13 in Florida and two in Mexico — and 27 indirect deaths in the United States, all in Florida.
Federal cuts: Why volunteer search-and-rescue teams are now in need of rescuing, too
According to the SDF website, Dodger was one of 18 human-dog search teams activated ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Dodger was rescued from the East Bay SPCA in Oakland, California, and proved to be highly intelligent and focused, even as a puppy. He attended SDF training, was paired with first responder handler Adam Schaaf of Lincoln Fire-Rescue and Nebraska Task Force 1 in 2022, and the two were certified by FEMA to deploy on federal missions.
"In October 2024, Adam and Dodger deployed to join their NE-TF1 teammates in North Carolina, where they had been assisting with rescue and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene," the SDF said. "Adam and Dodger arrived the day before Hurricane Milton was to strike Florida to help the task force reorganize and focus on moving south."
Check your local liquor store. Starting this month, Dodger's picture will be hanging from bottles in Florida stores along with a QR code for more information "spotlighting his heroism," TINCUP said.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: TINCUP Whiskey honors rescue dog who worked in Florida after Milton
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