Comfort dog injured at site of Florida condo collapse returns home to Philadelphia
"What he was doing down there was great. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be involved," said Dirk Vander Sterre.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A dog who served as an emotional relief canine after the Surfside, Florida condo collapse is now back home in Philadelphia.
Teddy, the 6-year-old trained crisis response dog, got hurt while helping dig through the massive piles of rubble. Sophia Barrett, his owner, said he back legs stopped working and the injury made the trip home more difficult.
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His vet said flying home on a commercial airline would be too stressful and a long drive would be too hard on him. So, Barrett made an appeal for help and a good Samaritan stepped in.
"When I'm having bad day, my dog puts a smile on my face," said Titan Aviation Group Owner Dirk Vander Sterre. "What he was doing down there was great. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be involved."
Vander Sterre's company offered a ride on a Hawker 800 XP 8-seater airplane.
Teddy received first-class service.
"He was out there and worked his heart out to meet all those people and to give them a lick and be friendly with them," said Jeff Barrett, Sophia's father.
Welcome home, Teddy.
