Spot a Dalmatian? He may be firefighters'

By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The city firefighters' mascot, Jake, a 5-year-old Dalmatian, is missing.
Tom Bulisco, assistant fire chief, said Jake was last seen Tuesday night going outside. The dog, which had identification tags, can open the fire department door himself and usually stays on the lawn near the building, he said.
He said Jake is a traditional Dalmatian but has an unusual gait because of an injury.
The firefighters suspect Jake got into a stranger's car.
"He's extremely friendly and loves to go on car rides. If someone pulled up and opened their car door, he would just hop right in," Bulisco said.
Firefighters are worried about the dog's health because he has kidney problems and takes medicine regularly. Bulisco said the dog will likely become ill after a few days without his medications.
"We've contacted everyone we could think of and no one has seen him yet," Bulisco said. "We're just hoping someone thought they were doing something good and picked him up."
The fire station sits at the busy intersection of Moravia Street and the Columbus Innerbelt.
No questions
Bulisco said firefighters will pick Jake up with no questions asked from anyone who knows his whereabouts.
"We just want him back. It's like a member of our family is missing," Bulisco said.
Anyone with information about Jake's whereabouts can call the fire station at (724) 656-3566.
cioffi@vindy.com