Stray dog wandering Philly streets finds forever family in 'heart of gold' firefighter

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia firefighters are some of the bravest men and women anyone could find, risking their lives to save others and their property. But, one firefighter from Ladder 19 went above and beyond the job description.

Anthony Menna has been a firefighter for eight years, five of those in Philadelphia. Just last year, he was named Firefighter of the Year.

His lieutenant, Olly McDonagh, says, "He just happened to witness a car accident. Person unconscious, car on fire. He dove in the smoke-filled car, pulled the unconscious person from the car, saved their life, and then went home."

So, it’s really no surprise that on June 14th, Menna came to the rescue of a severely matted and sickly stray dog, wandering outside the fire station.

"We felt really bad for him, seeing him out there. We couldn’t leave him," Menna stated.

Menna and his fellow firefighters managed to capture the poor pup, put on their protective gear to bath him and gave him some food and water, since he was scared and agitated. Menna even spent the night at the station with the dog he named Bullet, gaining his trust and taking him to the vet.

Menna explains, "He was not in good shape at all. The vet said he maybe had another day or so. He was probably not gonna make it."

His wife, Gabby, had a hunch how the tale was going to go. She said, "He actually Facetimed me, so I got to see the dog in his arms and in that moment, I already knew, he was gonna bring it home. That’s who Anthony is. He'll take care of anyone or anything."

Everyone who knows and works with Menna agrees he’s a stand-up guy. Lt. McDonagh added, "I’m not surprised. He’s just got a big heart."

Gabby continued, "This is what he loves to do. He was made to be a firefighter, in my opinion, so I think this is just one of the many stores we'll hear about him." I'd do it all over again. Whether it’s a person or an animal, the job is to protect and serve, and that's what we're here to do. I wanted to make sure he was safe."

It’s believed Bullet may have been on the streets at least a month. Many shelters in Philly and across the area are extremely crowded right now and adoptions are slow. So, Bullet definitely dodged a bullet, finding himself a devoted forever family after a rough ride.