Daniel Island's 'Tyson' vying for a spot in the Charleston Firefighter Calendar!
He’s dashing, playfully sweet and has eyes that will melt your heart.
Those qualities might just earn Tyson, a Daniel Island resident, a coveted spot in the famous Charleston Firefighter Calendar. At least his family hopes so!
One teeny detail of note - Tyson is actually a dog, a boxer bull terrier mix and beloved member of the Bobey clan. If selected, he will join 15 Charleston firefighters in the calendar, along with one other furry friend. As part of the annual contest, which benefits the Charleston Animal Society, two local pets can be selected as “People’s Choice Pet Rescue Models” for the publication.
Rona Bobey, who serves on the Charleston Firefighter Calendar Committee, is excited that Tyson is in the running.
“He’s a very handsome dog,” she said. “A couple of my friends have renamed him ‘Petey’ from the Little Rascals. He does get that a lot! He is hilarious!”
Tyson is eligible for the competition because he is a rescue dog, explained Rona. The family actually adopted him at Daniel Island Park Day in 2015, when Rona spotted him walking around with “Mr. August,” a firefighter model from that year’s Charleston Firefighters Calendar. Tyson was there on behalf of the Charleston Animal Society (CAS), after being rescued as a stray a few weeks earlier in North Charleston. The CAS placed him on the adoption list after nursing him back to health.
“I saw Tyson early in the morning and he caught my eye,” added Rona, who serves as the Park Day event coordinator for the Daniel Island Property Owners Association. “And I kept watching him all day!…When I saw him walking around and interacting with children and other dogs, I called home and said I think I found our next dog!”
Her husband, John, and daughters came down to meet Tyson and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I said ‘can I adopt him?’ (My husband) said yes to the dog, not the firefighter!” Rona exclaimed with a laugh.
Tyson has been a special member of the family ever since.
“When he is playing he is full out and 65 pounds of muscle,” Rona continued. “And then when you get him in the house he’s a couch potato! He’s a very sweet boy!”
Tyson is up against 41 other dogs and kittens for the two available pet model spots in the 2018 calendar. Winners will be photographed with a firefighter model. To vote for any of the animals in the competition, you must make a $10 donation to Toby’s Fund, a Charleston Animal Society medical fund used to treat and save abused, neglected and abandoned animals. All donations are tax deductible. Tyson is listed at number 10 in the lineup (see website link at end of article).
All of the firefighters for the calendar have been selected, added Rona, through a campaign that raised some $96,000 for CAS. The Bobey family hopes Tyson’s bid to become a top dog in the highly anticipated publication is successful.
“He deserves to win!” added Rona, who is making Tyson his own business cards. “I really hope he makes it!”
Another pet featured in the contest with ties to The Daniel Island News readership area is Winston Churchill Morris, a four year old Shih Tzu mix who lives on the Cainhoy Peninsula. Winston, listed at No. 33 in the line-up, was adopted by Kathy Morris about 18 months after her husband passed away.
“I know that we were giving him a home but in reality he was giving us a new life,” wrote Kathy on Winston’s page on the contest website. “He is loving, smart, funny and just outrageous sometimes. I want others who may be feeling lost or have experienced loss to know that there are so many wonderful animals that need to be cared for and loved. But, in truth, we are the ones who are rescued by these wonderful little beings.”
To see the complete list of pet contenders, including Tyson and Winston, visit https://charlestonfirefightercalendar.com/collections/vote. Voting ends on May 31 at 9 p.m.