Disabled veteran gifted RV after leaving beloved dog at Fort Worth fire station

A nonprofit provided Tom with an RV after his emotional letter about his dog Jake touched the community.

A disabled veteran who had been homeless for nearly two years is now living with renewed hope after receiving an RV from a nonprofit organization inspired by his heartbreaking story.

To understand what the RV means to Tom, supporters say it helps to go back to the handwritten letter he left beside his dog, Jake, outside a Fort Worth fire station last week.

“If it doesn't bring a little tear to your eye...um...” Fort Worth Fire Lt. Sam Grief said. “You could tell it was written out of love.”

The three-page letter, titled “Safe Place,” explained why Tom could no longer care for Jake while living homeless for about 20 months.

Firefighters at the Fort Worth station found Jake tied to a flagpole outside, along with the letter.

“I have nothing but my baby Jake,” Tom wrote. “I have been at this camp for 20 months... I can't leave him alone to go do things for myself that I need to do to make a better life...Please help my baby.”

Jake has since been adopted by firefighters at the station, but the story also led more people to learn about Tom and the challenges he faced.

That support eventually connected him with Operation Texas Strong, a nonprofit that helps veterans get off the streets.

“You have to give people chances in life,” founder Bobby Crutsinger said.

The organization provided Tom with a new RV, giving him a roof over his head and a fresh start.

“I wish we would have found him months ago,” Crutsinger said. “So he wouldn't be in a situation he's in.”

Support for Tom has continued to grow beyond the RV. A GoFundMe was created to help him maintain the vehicle and pay for medical expenses he has been unable to afford.

Fort Worth Fire’s Homeless Outreach Prevention and Education team is also helping him.

“He was totally blown away by the amount of support and traction this has gotten,” Grief said. “He said he was very blessed and just very shocked at the outpouring from the community.”

As for Jake, firefighters say he is adjusting well to his new home.

“He's a good boy,” someone says in video as Jake walks toward the camera.

The department hopes Tom and Jake may one day be reunited.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.