Lives and Legends of Chicago Firehouse Dogs
                          Lake Claremont Press, 4650 N. Rockwell St. , Chicago , IL 60625

Contacts:
Trevor Orsinger                             Drew Orsinger
trevor@orsingers.com                   drew@orsingers.com

First Non-Fiction Book on Firehouse Dogs Hits Shelves

            Chicago , IL – The Firefighter’s Best Friend: Lives and Legends of Chicago Firehouse Dogs is finally available for purchase after almost 3 years of original research and writing.  Written by brothers Trevor Orsinger and Drew Orsinger and published by Lake Claremont Press, The Firefighter’s Best Friend is the first book to document the role and tradition of dogs who have dwelled in Chicago firehouses through real life stories, history, and photography.  This soft-cover book sells for $19.95 and is available through the publisher, or the author’s website at www.firehousedogs.com.  A percentage of the proceeds generated from the sales of this book are donated to the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Burn Camp “I Am Me,” for children who have been hospitalized for burn injuries, a cause near to the hearts of Chicago firefighters. 

With the Foreword written by Chicago Fire Department Commissioner James T. Joyce, The Firefighter’s Best Friend is a culmination of “tails” about a unique breed of firefighters who are on duty twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year – the pure bred firehouse dog.  Fantastic stories of saving lives, fighting fires, donating blood, starring in the news, and climbing ladders to accompany their crew will captivate audiences for hours.  But even the everyday images of firehouse life include such things as riding the engines, playing basketball, rolling hose, and protecting the firehouse from intruders.  Not only are these narratives mesmerizing, but they are interwoven with an extensive photographic collection spanning 125 years of firedog history. 

The Firefighter’s Best Friend devotes an entire chapter to the roots of the firedog, where the authors describe the origins of their lineage from Europe .  Following this history, the next chapter explores the typical lifestyle and characteristics of the Chicago firehouse dog.  There is also a chapter devoted to legends, where the authors profile three of the city’s most famous firedogs.  The final chapters chronicle dozens of stories from firehouses across Chicago, divided among 3 geographic sections: North, South and West.  No one will ever know precisely how many dogs have lived in Chicago’s firehouses over the years, but every confirmed firedog who gave service in the Windy City has been appropriately indexed for reference.  The Brothers Orsinger confirmed the existence of over 300 dogs who have served in Chicago firehouses since the Great Fire of 1871.

            The book will have immediate appeal to dog lovers and fire department aficionados, but no matter who the reader, The Firefighter’s Best Friend provides a rare glimpse into the unique facet of the often-unnoticed role dogs play in society – that of the dog who has lived in the depths of the firehouses in the City of Chicago. 

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