Meet Arson, Utah's first 'firehouse therapy dog'


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PLEASANT GROVE — A firefighter's job is never done.

"We try to keep it structured so that we don't get lazy," said firefighter Kevin Wilkey.

The time in between calls is often spent preparing for the next alarm. Sometimes, it's as simple as accounting for all their gear.

"This is what we do every morning," Wilkey said, while he and the other members of their team opened the various doors on their fire trucks and ran through a checklist. "Every single morning."

Despite the long shifts — firefighters in Pleasant Grove live at the station for 48 hours straight — Wilkey says the job offers him a lot.

"I don't know how many computer programmers have people drop off cookies to them and say 'Thank you for what you did,'" he said.

But as much as the job offers, it also takes away.

"Obviously we see things that most people never see, nor should they see," Wilkey said.

Many firefighters carry those difficult images with them when they're around the firehouse, often causing them to bear a heavy burden — which can be especially tough, given the long hours away from their families.

But one of Pleasant Grove's newest firefighters is on shift for far longer than the standard 48 hours.

"He lives here full time," Wilkey said. "He's by far the firefighter that works the most at Pleasant Grove."

Firefighter Sarah Domyan talking about Arson. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)
Firefighter Sarah Domyan talking about Arson. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)

And that level of commitment has brought along a bit of jealousy.

"My daughter loves to come visit him," said firefighter Sarah Domyan. "I think more than she likes to come visit me."

"I think he's actually the Chief's favorite employee," Wilkey said with a laugh. "He doesn't ever cause him problems. He doesn't talk back, he just hangs out with him whenever he needs."

Who is this firehouse brownnoser? His name is Arson — Pleasant Grove's own fire dog.

"Talking about what we could do for the station to kind of lighten the mood, and there's been a lot of studies showing that dogs have a real positive effect on firefighters with our stress levels," said Wilkey.

Arson isn't trained. He's not a service dog. In fact, fetching a ball is pretty much his main goal in life.

Arson waits for the ball at the Pleasant Grove Fire Department. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)
Arson waits for the ball at the Pleasant Grove Fire Department. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)

"He's a non-working dog, which means that he doesn't do any type of searching, any type of drug detection," Wilkey said. "He's not a protection dog. He literally is just a therapy dog for us to wind down with."

Wilkey said Pleasant Grove is the first fire department in the state to have a dog like Arson: one who's simply there to make the firehouse an easier place to be.

"It's definitely beneficial for us, the firefighters, as far as stress relief," Domyan said. "Stress is such a huge part of the job. Just to be able to have that element of letting go of what you just saw or did and just play with him."

And Arson's becoming popular outside of the station as well, because he's on his way to social media superstardom. He's active online, especially on Instagram.

Arson on his Instagram page. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)
Arson on his Instagram page. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL TV)

"He's definitely the face of Pleasant Grove Fire Department," Wilkey said. "It's a way for us to show our citizens what we do on a daily basis in a fun and kind of lighthearted manner."

And every post is written as though it came from Arson himself.

"We had Arson on the hood, and he was complaining that he was checking the oil," Wilkey said. "Which, I don't know why he'd care. He has black fur, you can't see it anyways."

While he may be gaining a lot of traction with the community, there's no doubt Arson's biggest fans are the firefighters of Pleasant Grove.

"He couldn't care less what calls we went on or what's happening at home or how stressed we are, he just wants to hang out and throw a ball," Wilkey said. "We're actually really fortunate to have him."


You can follow Arson's firehouse adventures on his own Instagram page.

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