A special visitor stopped by the North Whidbey Fire and Rescue department last Monday to satisfy the department’s collective sweet tooth.
Barbara Kurse, accompanied by her emotional support dog celebrity, Cozmo, and friend Pat LaMonte, delivered a generous spread of treats to the firefighters. Cozmo was saved in October after falling off a bluff, thanks to a coordinated rescue involving North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue and the the Navy Fire department, according to a News-Times article.
The trio arrived bearing cupcakes, caramels, cookies and more, much to the delight of the hungry firefighters.
Kurse said the visit was their way of saying thank you for saving her beloved pup.
“I was so grateful that they responded so quickly and in full equipment for any possible outcome,” she said.
Cozmo is part of a Northwest volunteer group, Dogs on Call, led on Whidbey by LaMonte, that regularly visits high schools, hospitals, memory care, libraries and hospice, to greet people and spread four-legged joy, Kurse said.
“It makes me feel good to give back to the community,” she explained. “Hospice was so good to my husband before he passed away that I wanted to give back. So having Cozmo and watching the smile on these people’s faces just does my heart good.”
North Whidbey Fire Deputy Chief Ray Merrill added that his team takes pride in having saved such an important part of the Whidbey community.
“People would say, well, it’s just a dog. It’s more than just a dog. It’s a very important member of the community because of the work Cozmo does,” he said.
He emphasized that Cozmo’s rescue was a true team effort, made possible by the collaboration between the Navy fire department and Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue.
“We are really here to support and help the community in their time of need; whether it be for an animal, or a human or just because it’s important and this is what we do,” Merrill said.
When questioned whether North Whidbey Fire and Rescue has a sweet tooth, Merrill did not hesitate.
“Uh, yeah. That goes without saying,” he said.
However, Merrill was tight-lipped about who among the department has the biggest weakness for sweets.
“I’m not gonna say,” he said. “I’m going to plead the fifth on that one.”
