NY Post – February 21, 2017
by Natalie Musumeci, Khristina Narizhnaya and Melkorka Licea
A Lower East Side FDNY station nicknamed “Fort Pitt” has adopted an adorable pit bull named Ashley — “Ash” for short — who was saved from a Staten Island crack den by a nonprofit animal group.
The Bravest of Engine 15/Ladder 18 on Pitt Street brought home their new four-legged probie last month, and according to photos from the dog’s Instagram account, she is adjusting to her new life just swell.
The 1-year-old pup’s Instagram account, @probyash, which is maintained by the firehouse, shows the pooch hanging out in the Lower East Side firehouse’s kitchen, riding in the fire truck and hanging out with her new family.
“From the crackhouse to the firehouse. Life is good,” her bio on the social media site reads.
The pooch can be seen posing in front of a fire truck in one photo along with the humorous caption: “Reporting for doodie… ready to ride…I got the woof! (Roof).”
Ash was the group No More Pain Rescue’s first saved dog of the year, according to its Instagram page.
When the group picked up the dog Jan. 9, she was “filthy,” “extremely malnourished” and about 25 pounds underweight with cigarette burns on her head, Erica Mahnken, the co-founder of No More Pain Rescue, told The Post on Monday.
“Despite all that, Ash was so happy to see us,” said Mahnken.
Mahnken said her fiancé had gotten a tip that junkies and crackheads who were living in an abandoned house on Staten Island had picked up and left last month, leaving the pup behind with no food or water.
“When we got the phone call that the people had been gone for at least two days, we ran and got Ash,” Mahnken said.
Mahnken said she and her fiancé have a few friends at the LES firehouse and knew they were looking to adopt a pup, so she contacted them right away.
Ash spent her first night away from the crackhouse at the firehouse.
“The minute we walked her through those doors, we knew that’s where she was meant to be,” Mahnken said. “Every single Fort Pitt firefighter instantly fell in love with her and she fell even more in love with them.”
The firehouse officially adopted Ash on Jan. 12 and she has gained a substantial amount of weight since her adoption.
“She’s such a happy girl and now weighs about 50 pounds!” Mahnken said. “I couldn’t have picked a better home for our sweet girl and I can’t thank the FDNY enough for allowing Ash to join New York’s Bravest.”
No comments yet.