Mother and child have been reunited.
At Tuesday’s Wayne City Council meeting, Fire Chief Phil Monahan told the council that the ceramic dalmatian puppy that was taken from the east plaza at the Wayne Volunteer Fire Department was recently returned.
Monahan said that a local resident returned the ceramic puppy to the police station, more than a month after it was reported stolen by Monahan. The puppy is one of three dogs that stands guard near the flagpole at the fire station, a mother dog and her two puppies.
The dogs are of special value, not only to the fire department, but the community of Wayne. They served as inspiration to local residents after the Oct. 4, 2013 tornado that hit the east edge of town. The storm knocked the flag off its pole, but the flag was draped over the three dogs and did not touch the ground, serving as a symbol of the town’s determination to stay strong in the aftermath of the tornado’s damage. The image of the flag-draped dogs was used for a T-shirt that was sold locally as a fundraiser to help rebuilding efforts.
