Tango the Fire Safety Dog 7th in “Emerging Hero” Category for AHA's Hero Dog Award

July 17, 2012 - PRLog -- Tango the Fire Safety Dog, a Dalmatian whose efforts have reached tens of thousands of children across the United States and throughout the world with his fire safety efforts, placed seventh place in the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award in a field of 72 dogs hailing from across the country.

Firefighter Dayna Hilton, fire safety educator and handler of Tango, announced today that she was notified that Tango’s placed seventh in the "Emerging Hero Dogs" category. According to the American Humane Association, "Emerging heroes category, includes ordinary dogs who you think have made an extraordinary difference in your life."

Born one month before 9/11, Tango, now ten and a half, has been helping teach fire safety to children and adults in the hopes of helping save lives, reduce injuries and fire losses. A spokes dog for the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and fire service dog for Johnson County RFD #1 in Clarksville, Arkansas, Tango was given to Firefighter Dayna Hilton in 2008 to help with fire safety programming, after her dog, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, was unable to travel. Tango and Sparkles spent thousands of hours together, helping teach fire safety across the country, until Sparkles crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2010.

After Sparkles’ passing, Hilton watched as Tango became, according to Hilton, “A completely different dog.” “It was amazing to see as Tango effortlessly assumed the role that Sparkles once had. I couldn’t believe the change in him and it gave my heart great joy as I watched him help carry on the tradition of helping save lives by helping train a new fire safety puppy, Siren. Tango has been incredibly gentle with Siren and has helped mentor Siren to grow up to teach fire safety to children and their caregivers, just like him, and Sparkles before him.”

Tango works hard and tirelessly to help educate children and adults through the work of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, a public charity founded in honor of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. In addition to appearing at events across the United States, Tango Skypes weekly to children during Sparkles’ Fire Safety Skype Tour and participates in Sparkles’ Safety Spot, a live streamed fire safety program on the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation’s SparklesTV. Tango also  shares his adventures and fire safety tips on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tangothefiresafetydog) and is contributing columnist on a national column, Sparkles’ Kids Zone of Fire Engineering Magazine’s firelife.com.

Voting for the Hero Dogs was held for three months.

For more information about Tango the Fire Safety Dog or the work of the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, contact Firefighter Dayna Hilton at keepkidsfiresafe@gmail.com

Keep Kids Fire Safe® Foundation is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization dedicated to teaching fire safety knowledge and skills to children and their caregivers based on fire safety research.

Through our programs, safety materials and strategic partnerships, the Keep Kids Fire Safe® Foundation aims to reduce the fire-related deaths and injuries among children.