A year ago,
a little brown dog with a giant heart joined the RapidSOS family and my own. This is the story of Chief Purpose, our company mascot, my service dog, and a constant source of joy and inspiration to all that meet him. His journey over the last twelve months has been nothing short of extraordinary, filled with long road trips, unexpected challenges, and countless moments of connection.
Our story began at the NENA 2024 conference in Orlando. As the premier sponsor, RapidSOS hosted the puppy play park – a detail that, as a devoted animal lover, I couldn’t ignore. Between my duties at our booth, I rushed over, eager for some puppy snuggles. By the time I arrived, most of the tiny furballs were already being cuddled. But then I saw him. A handsome, ~20-pound brown puppy, the largest of the bunch, sat by himself, patiently waiting. The moment I opened my arms, he walked right in and gave me what I can only describe as a true hug. In that instant, I knew he was special. He was playful and independent, yet gentle and social, steering clear of the puppy squabbles. Leaving him to go back to work, not surprisingly, was difficult.
The first time I saw Chief! And our first hug!
For years, I’ve been a passionate advocate for mental health, having lost dear friends to the ongoing crisis. My dream was to train a comfort dog to support this mission. Standing in the aisle at NENA, my colleague Karin looked at me and said, “Now’s your chance.”
That was all the encouragement I needed. I laid out my plan to Jose, our COO. My extensive research on canine programs allowed me to confidently answer all his questions, securing his approval and an enthusiastic “Yes!”
The next few hours were a whirlwind. I called my husband with the news, having worked with me on a proposal months before he was excited to support me in this journey. Next were the logistics of getting him home. I canceled my flight and rented a car. I went back to the little brown dog, then named Cosmo, and promised him he was coming home with me and that he was going to have an amazing life. The next day, after a long and restless night, I picked him up. He had just had surgery and was a bit drowsy, which was probably for the best considering the 1,207-mile journey ahead of us. What the GPS estimated as an 18-hour drive quickly turned into 29 hours of frequent puppy potty breaks, a quick stopover north of Raleigh for some sleep and many shared moments (and pictures) of a budding friendship. We finally pulled into our driveway around 7 pm on July 3rd, where my husband welcomed our new family member with open arms. Our two other dogs were initially hesitant, but they soon realized they had a new playmate.
Chief in his car seat ready for our roadtrip. Chief meeting his new big brother.
His training included real-world experience, and he joined me at the IACP conference in Boston. He was an instant star, even making an appearance on Axon's Instagram. However, during the trip, he developed a worsening cough. We stopped at an emergency vet in Connecticut, where he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. We were provided antibiotics then we decided to proceed to our next event in New York City, but that night, things took a turn for the worse. I woke up at 1:30 a.m. to find him shaking uncontrollably. I knew something was seriously wrong. I immediately packed us up and started the drive home to our trusted emergency vet.
