New statue for the Mitchell Fire Department

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) —Mitchell’s Fire Department will soon have a new piece of art outside of its station.

One determined 9-year-old wanted to put a Dalmatian statue outside of the Mitchell fire station.

“When the fire station called in, Dan said, you know, we’d like to talk to Lakynn and we think this is a good idea. We said, okay, sure, no problem. I mean, we didn’t think it was going to amount to all of this,” Lakynn’s mom Tyann Eldeen said.

The firefighter I spoke to said they are making sure that the new statue will not be stolen like the previous one.

“It just made me feel, like, sad because I knew that someone that they used to have one and that someone, like, stole it. Like, I was like, maybe they should get like a new one. And I was like, maybe they could just get a real dog but feel like a statue would be more realistic,” Lakynn said.

Lakynn just wants the people to remember how well the dog served Mitchell

“Just remind people of the fire dog and how it just served very good and Mitchell and how they just… they help a lot. So I just thought that that would be a good sign for everyone to see when they drop by,” she said.

Lakynn’s mom is proud as her daughter was set on getting a statue outside of the fire station and took action.

“I just think it’s really, really cool that she didn’t forget. She came right home. She wrote that letter all by herself. She mailed it by herself, ” Eldeen said. “She has $1,649.26.”

They do not have the statues yet but are hoping to get them in the next 2 to 3 weeks. They are planning on a Dalmatian and a German Shepherd as well as a plaque with Lakynn’s handwritten letter.

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