Good Neighbor Stories

Fire investigator overcomes fear of dogs to become first Latina arson dog handler

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 06:49:00 -0500

When Maggie Greene’s family immigrated from Mexico to the United States, they hoped to raise their children in a safe community that provided opportunities for their children to thrive. Her family, like so many that have immigrated to this country, risked a great deal but had big hopes and dreams for the future.

In an instant, those hopes and dreams were nearly shattered for Maggie.

At the age of eight, Maggie suffered a severe injury after being attacked by a retired police dog. “My parents took me to a local community medical clinic but they only spoke Spanish and the doctors spoke English so I had to translate for them,” said Maggie. “The whole incident was like a bad dream and even today, I only remember bits and pieces.”

When doctors said they may have no option but to amputate the leg, Maggie’s mom insisted on a second opinion at a different hospital. Thankfully, doctors were able to save her leg. While the physical scars have long since healed, her emotional scars and fear of dogs lasted for four decades.

After the attack, Maggie was constantly on guard for signs of dogs -- even when they weren’t visible. She listened for the sounds of a dog tag on a collar, barking behind a fence, or any signs that a dog was near so she could avoid them. Little did she know that this heightened awareness and observational skills would be critical in her career.

Maggie began her fire service career in 2004 as a Fire Prevention Specialist with the City of Escondido Fire Department before joining the Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) in 2012 as a Fire Investigator. When she joined CVFD, her office was literally steps from her biggest fear … a dog. Just two years earlier, Fire Investigator Darin Golden had trained and certified with his partner, K9 Cali, through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. K9 Cali was an accelerant detection canine, commonly called an arson dog, whose job was to find evidence of gas or fuel at fire scenes. K9 Cali lived and worked with Investigator Golden every day, even staying in his office when they weren’t investigating a fire. An office that was just steps away from Maggie.

Even though she was scared, Maggie respected that K9 Cali was a member of the fire department. Over the years, the sweet demeanor of K9 Cali and Darin’s patience helped her become more comfortable around dogs. She also realized the important work that Darin and K9 Cali did at fire investigations and as she thought about it, she realized that the reason she joined the fire service was to help people and improve her community. Working with a law enforcement dog would allow her to do that more effectively. So, when K9 Cali retired after 12 years on the job, Maggie decided to do what many in her life thought was impossible.

Maggie Greene applied to train as an arson dog handler as the replacement team for Darin and K9 Cali. And for the second time, a dog was changing the course of her life.

Her family wanted to support her but had many questions. Would she be able to live and work every day with a dog knowing her fear? Maggie was allergic to dog fur so how would that impact her work and life? Training and working a dog every single day is a huge commitment for a busy mother. Could she manage it? Still, she persisted, willing to make sacrifices to reach her goal just like her parents had done as Mexican immigrants. Her family understood and told her, “We will do whatever you want us to do to support you.” This is what family is about and in Maggie’s words, “I don’t do this alone.”

In April 2022, Maggie faced her fears and overcame the emotional obstacles she has held for over 40 years by training through the State Farm Arson Dog Program and becoming the first Latina arson canine handler. Along with her new partner, K9 Hannah, Maggie investigates arson crimes for her community. While she hasn’t thought of herself as a role model, when she looks back at all she has overcome, she hopes she can “inspire just one person” with her story. In her own words, “I am one blessed soul.”

Puppy Raised by Birds?

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 10:41:00 -0500

Join the conversation on Yammer!

Raising a puppy isn’t easy. They may be cute, but they require lots of attention and are a big responsibility. Imagine putting in the love and commitment to raising a puppy only to give it up 18 months later. State Farm employees Robin and Tony Bird are doing just that…and they couldn’t be happier.

For thousands of people with disabilities, a service dog allows them to live life independently. State Farm is excited to sponsor a service dog through Canine Companions for Independence. The non-profit organization provides professionally trained assistance dogs at no charge. Service animals are highly trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Since 1975, Canine Companions has placed over 6,600 service dogs.

“We’re very happy about our partnership with State Farm and believe it is the perfect opportunity to engage employees around a positive, ‘good neighbor’ cause that can make a transformational difference in the lives of children, adults and veterans with disabilities,” said Bryan Harding from Canine Companions.

The sponsorship is also providing a unique volunteer opportunity for Robin and Tony. They volunteered and were selected to raise the Canine Companions puppy, sponsored by State Farm.

“We had been looking for some ways to give back, and animal charities are one place where we often gravitate,” said Robin. “With 34 combined years with State Farm, Tony and I are aware of the many ways State Farm gives back. This is such a unique way to give back to the community in a personal and highly impactful way. We couldn't be happier to be selected as puppy raisers.”

A Good Boy

State Farm employees were presented with the chance to name the puppy and while “Jake” may have seemed like a logical name, the puppy wasn’t born in a “J” litter. To help track the hundreds of puppies born into the program, each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet. The State Farm puppy was born in the “T” litter so the name needed to be short and begin with the same letter.

Tex. Tip. Toast. All are fun and cute names, but this puppy was going to grow up to do good things. It needed a good name because it was part of the Good Neighbor family.

Meet Tavi.

In Hebrew, tavi means “good” and it couldn’t be a better name for him. Tavi is a male Labrador retriever/golden retriever cross and since he is yellow, he is already wearing khakis! Born on Aug. 17, Tavi will leave the nest and meet the Birds in mid-October 2020.

In his first 18 months, the Birds will help Tavi learn basic obedience, social skills and manners. After that, he will move on to professional training with Canine Companions staff where he will learn advanced commands like turning on and off lights and picking up dropped items.

Giving a Dog a Job

It is expensive to breed, raise and train each Canine Companions assistance dog. Volunteers and donations are necessary in order to continue providing assistance dogs at no cost to recipients.

Each year, Canine Companions for Independence hosts DogFest. The dog-friendly event celebrates the human-animal bond and raises money for a great cause. Like most events this year, DogFest has gone virtual. While there will be less fur, the fun won’t stop!

Join other pet lovers for DogFest Texas on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11:00 a.m to noon, CDT and help give a dog a job. There are a variety of ways to participate:

Register and fundraise to support a great cause. Registration is FREE. All funds go toward training assistance dogs for people in need. You can even form a team to help Canine Companions raise funds!
Participate in fun activities on the DogFest Texas Facebook event page. You can even share how your dog brings you joy with this downloadable sign.
Make a donation! Your generous support helps give the gift of freedom to people with disabilities. All donations made to Canine Companions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.