Twenty. That was her name. Twenty was named after the Ladder Company of the Fire Department she served, according to The Huffington Post. Ladder Company 20 became famous, gruesomely, when seven of the members from Ladder 20's team were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 2001. Only a mile and a half away from the World Trade Center, Ladder Twenty was on scene immediately, as was Squad 18, who shared the firehouse at the time with Ladder 20. Squad 18 lost seven members, as well.
So when a little Dalmatian puppy was gifted to Ladder 20 from the Monroe County sheriff's department in upstate New York, the surviving members were still in mourning, but they welcomed the tiny little pup and aptly named her Twenty.
"There was a time after 9/11 when the firehouse was like being in a tomb," Lieutenant Gary Iorio said, according to The New York Times. "You couldn't get back to normal, and the dog helped with that."
Boy did Twenty love the fire truck, riding along with all of their calls, false alarms and full-fledged fires. She was just the spark and cheer that the grieving fire station needed as they went to events for fallen members, CBS New York noted.
"For 10 years, she never missed a run," said Mike Toal, a member of Ladder 20 who often drove the fire truck.
"We were burying guys left and right at that time," he added. "She came with us to a lot of burials and funerals."
Toal admits that even after he retired five years ago, he still visited the station each month with dog biscuits for his friend. And when it was evident Twenty's age and age-related ailments have caught up with her, Toal was among many retired and current firefighters who came to the firehouse this week to spend time with Twenty.
"There were 20 guys in the kitchen crying," Toal said, talking about this past Tuesday, when the veterinarian prepared to euthanize the 14-year-old Twenty at the station.
"She calmed you, she brought a certain peace to you," he added. "She was a focal point of stress relief."
"I've been through a lot of stuff, and here I'm crying over a dog, but you couldn't help it, she was part of the place," said Iorio, who worked at Ladder 20 for 10 years. Iorio was there at the end for his friend, Twenty.
"I liked her more than most people I worked with," Toal said.
