Beloved North Texas firehouse dog Riggs dies after being struck by car, Midlothian FD says
A North Texas fire department is mourning after learning of the death of its beloved firehouse dog that went missing after a storm moved through the area last week.
The Midlothian Fire Department announced Tuesday that Riggs, their station dog and companion, died after being struck by a vehicle.
The community, and many throughout North Texas, had been searching for the yellow lab-mix since he was reported missing on May 2 following a storm.
"While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support from our community," Midlothian FD said in a social media post. "From those who helped search, shared posts, handed out flyers, made donation or simply kept Riggs in their thoughts – your kindness and compassion meant the world to us."
Remembering Riggs
Riggs had been a godsend to Midlothian Fire Station #1 after he was rescued three years ago, firefighters said.
CBS News Texas spoke with Midlothian Fire Chief Dale McCaskill who shared that the sweet pup was like a part of their family.
"He's always excited when they [firefighters] return back from a call. Anybody that owns a dog knows they meet you at the door with the same enthusiasm every time, and so that's been a relief for our firefighters after a stressful call," McCaskill said.
Fire Captain Austin Ullrich echoed those sentiment, saying Riggs was always lying with someone who needed it after having a tough day.
Missing after a storm
Firefighters last saw Riggs at Station #1 around 2:45 p.m. Friday, May 2, after a storm moved into the area.
A dog handler who owns a dog that tracks other dogs donated her time to search on Sunday, May 4. She tracked Riggs' scent from the fire station to about 200 yards away near Highway 287, and then it disappeared.
Midlothian initially offered a $1,000 reward in the search for Riggs before increasing it Monday, May 5, to $2,500.
After learning of Rigg's passing, Midlothian FD thanked everyone for standing with them in hopes of bringing Riggs home safe.
