GEORGETOWN, Texas — The election may be over, but there's still an important vote happening in Central Texas.
Koda, a therapy dog at the Georgetown Fire Department, is in the running for the 2nd Annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, and needs your vote to make it to the top 10.
The First Responder Paws contest is a nation-wide competition sponsored by FHEHealth, a healthcare institution based in Florida.
Koda is one of over two dozen dogs (and one cat) in the running for the award, who all serve their communities in different institutions, including fire departments, police departments, hospitals and more. The full list of contestants can be seen at this link.
According to FHEHealth, Koda has served as the Community Engagement and Therapy K-9 at Georgetown Fire for seven years, providing emotional support to members of the Georgetown community, as well as police, EMS and fire personnel, hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
Koda also reportedly helps teach children about fire safety and to believe in themselves, and has even written a book about the journey to joining the fire department.
Voting is now open, and you can cast your vote on the FHEHealth website at this link.
The winner of the contest will reportedly receive:
- A Gift Basket From Chewy.com
- A $2,000 check in support of their work
- Free national publicity, including a feature blog that reaches more than 100,000 people on social media and a press release announcing the news
- A “Top Paws Therapy Dog Award” badge for placement on their website or blog in recognition of their status as one of 10 finalists
- A $2,500 donation made in their honor by FHE Health to partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation, which exists to train more therapy dogs for first responders
"Let’s show Koda some love and support by voting and sharing this post with your friends and family," said Georgetown FD in a post on social media. "Together, we can help her shine!"