NATION'S TOP FIREHOUSE DOG SELECTED IN "CHICAGO FIRE" TOP DOG CONTEST

SMOKEY FROM JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS WINS AN APPEARANCE ON NBC'S "CHICAGO FIRE"

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Oct. 1, 2013 - Smokey, a Labrador/Retriever mix based out of Station 2 in Jacksonville, Illinois, was named this morning on NBC's "Today" as the winner of the "Chicago Fire" Top Dog Competition. Smokey will appear on NBC's "Chicago Fire" in a cameo role during an episode later this season.

As a 6-month old puppy, Smokey was inside a home that was engulfed in flames. Eventually, her lifeless body was brought out and, with the aid of firefighters and a veterinarian, was kept on oxygen for three days, hand fed, and nurtured. Now she is a training tool for school children and the community as the firefighters have taught her safety techniques such as "stop, drop and roll," among other civic duties the 4-yr-old pooch performs.

Following the "Today" appearance of the three canine finalists on Sept. 24, the winner was decided by public voting on www.today.com/topdog, which began last Tuesday and finished yesterday. Smokey won the contest with 51% of the vote. Dempsey, a 21/2 year-old Boxer/Mastiff mix from Indianapolis, came in second. Wilshire, a Dalmatian from Los Angeles, finished third.

Finalists Dempsey, Smokey and Wilshire were chosen from more than 100 firehouse dogs nationwide that entered the contest, looking to fetch the guest spot on "Chicago Fire" and the appearance on "Today." The pooches were in New York last week with their firehouse companions, Eileen Orban, Todd Warrick and Ryan Penrod, respectively, when they were revealed as the finalists of the competition on "Today."

"Chicago Fire" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). The drama series, which garnered its best ratings ever with its second-season premiere last week, is produced by Universal Television and Wolf Films and stars Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Eamonn Walker, Monica Raymund, Lauren German, Charlie Barnett, David Eigenberg, Yuri Sardarov, Joe Minoso and Christian Stolte. The executive producers are Dick Wolf, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Danielle Gelber, Joe Chappelle and Peter Jankowski.

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