Tiger came to Oregon from the island of Maui and was adopted on March 26, 2018. He started right away with his training to become a certified therapy dog with his handler, Chaplain Mitch Warren. On July 1, 2018, Tiger was certified and started loving people and making new friends. Over the next five and a half years, Tiger and his handler attended many community and fund-raising events. His true delight was when he got to see his first responder friends during shift briefings, firehouse visits, agency visits, and when he swung by to say hello to his dispatcher friends. Tiger got to know first responders and brightened their days in ten different agencies. It wasn’t uncommon to even see Tiger deployed on emergency calls scenes to help support our first responders and the community here in mid-Willamette Valley. He even had the exciting experience of riding in a fire engine, responding to a couple of 911 calls. In all, Tiger tallied nearly 2,000 agency visits and calls in his career as a therapy dog to first responders. Tiger has served under the non-profit organizations of Crisis Chaplaincy Services, Willamette Valley First Responder Chaplains, and First Responder Therapy Dogs.
Tiger was known for his cute face, his happy tail, and the yawn/howl that let everyone know that Tiger was in the house. If people didn’t have a treat for him, he made sure that no treat was left unturned with his Plott Hound nose, as he searched high and low for a hidden treat. Given the right setting, Tiger would even crawl into the first responder’s laps for a quick snuggle or a nap. His weekly visits were a highlight for many first responders and support staff. It was said by several administrators that the work atmosphere brightened for several hours after Tiger had stopped by for his visits.
In September 2023 Tiger retired after receiving the diagnosis of lymphoma. He now lives with his handler in their family home for the remainder of his days. Tiger leaves a legacy of being the first trained therapy dog serving first responders in the Salem area of the Willamette Valley. Tiger, you will be missed!
