A day after Hurricane Helene scraped Southwest Florida, flooding roads across the region with tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph, local firefighters made a new friend at their doorstep.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Bonita Springs Fire District said Wednesday, a bulldog wandered into Bonita Springs Fire Station 27 on Hickory Boulevard the day after the storm had passed.
While firefighters were taking a break from the morning’s emergencies Sept. 27, the fire district said, they found the bulldog, named Helene, right in their station.
“Though no one could quite figure out how she made it inside, the crew welcomed her with open arms,” the fire district wrote in a Facebook post.
911 calls: Hundreds of 911 calls poured in during Hurricane Helene in Lee, Collier counties
The fire district said staff made her comfortable, fed and snuggled her, and took her to the vet to check for a microchip, but found no chip and no leads to her family. They said they did not lose hope.
Despite efforts to find her original family, no one has come forward, the fire district said. Helene has found a new home with one of their firefighters, the fire district said.