Reprinted from City of Dogs: New York Dogs, Their Neighborhoods, and the People Who Love Them by arrangement with Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2018, Ken Foster and Traer Scott

In their new book, City of Dogs: New York Dogs, Their Neighborhoods and the People Who Love Them, Ken Foster and Traer Scott profile forty New York City dogs and their owners from all different neighborhoods spread across the five boroughs. The owners included in the book represent a wide variety of ages, races, occupations and life stories and their dogs are just as unique. What unites the diverse group of subjects is the deep bond that they all share with their pets. To give you a peek at what’s inside, we’ve picked out five dogs who are earning their keep in New York City. Whether they are protecting our safety or simply greeting customers in a store, here are five working dogs of New York City:

1. Riggs and The Fire Factory

Photograph by Traer Scott

Fire dogs were traditionally employed by firehouses as companions for the fire horses, but when fire horses went away (replaced by firetrucks), the dogs stayed. At Engine Company 58 Ladder 26, a firehouse on 5th avenue just above Central Park nicknamed the Fire Factory after a surge of arsons that occurred in the nearby areas of Harlem and the Bronx in the 1960s, their fire house dog is a bulldog named Riggs. Riggs is not the first bulldog this firehouse has adopted. The wrinkly faced dog has become their mascot and can be seen emblazoned on flags, signs, and even a stained glass window. Riggs, who is just a puppy yet, was a gift from one of the firefighters in the company. You can usually find him in his bed in the corner of the command center watching the fire firefighters come and go.

You can pick up your copy of City of Dogs here to read more stories of the relationship between New York City dogs, their owners, and their neighborhoods.

2. Oz and Noah

Photograph by Traer Scott

Oz is somewhat of a gym rat. He can often be found next to the reception desk of Rumble Boxing’s front office waiting for his owner Noah. He greets visitors and meets boxers when their classes are over and he can finally be reunited with Noah, a trainer and cofounder of Rumble Boxing. The pair live together in Noho, where a dog park for Oz to run around in is never too far away. Ten year old Oz follows Noah wherever he has to go during his busy days of meetings and classes at the boxing studio.

3. The Dogs of the PAWS for Purpose Program and the Men of The George R. Vierno Center

Photograph by Traer Scott

PAWS for Purpose is a program that matches eight dogs with groups of inmates at Rikers Correctional Facility for an eight week residency during which the inmates provide 24/7 care for the dogs with assistance from a professional trainer. After graduating from the program the dogs go on to become assistance dogs, detection dogs, or pets. Rikers Corrections Officer Fitzpatrick says that the dogs help “everyone to shed their tough exteriors, let down their guard” and “show love and compassion in a place that is normally absent of such feelings.” The program benefits both the inmates and the dogs, who learn from and grow with each other during their short time together.

4. Rocket and Shin

Photograph by Traer Scott

Shin started out as a cat person. When she opened her first store in the East Village her companion was BooBoo. Then one day, a puppy in a window caught her eye and they formed an instant connection. Pepper joined the family and became Shin’s new shop dog, happily greeting customers at the door of her Chelsea storefront. Pepper was by Shin’s side through many changes in her business, home life, and the world at large over the years. It took a long time for Shin to get over the loss of Pepper, but in 2012 she adopted Rocket, a chow-mix who easily adjusted to the shop dog life. Shin says that walking her dogs helped her notice all of the changes occurring in the city around her. One of her favorite spots to walk to with Rocket, who sadly passed away earlier this year, was the Elizabeth Street Garden, and she hopes that the changes affecting the city today don’t lead to the loss of this special place.

5. The Dogs of Homeland Security

Photograph by Traer Scott

The dogs of homeland security at John F. Kennedy International Airport work hard and play hard too. They are trained to sniff out contraband in luggage and on people and signal their human partners when they make a find. The dogs do their job so discreetly you may not even notice that their noses are on alert as they walk by. Dogs like the Malinois pictured above screen pieces of luggage that are coming and going in and out of the country. The most common find is some type of agricultural product, like a snack, that unintentionally poses a risks due to the contaminants it may carry. Every time a find is made, the dogs are rewarded with playtime. Often there are decoys planted in lines of boarding passengers and on luggage conveyor belts so everyday the dogs can count a success.

You can pick up your copy of City of Dogs here to read more stories of the relationship between New York City dogs, their owners, and their neighborhoods.

Next, check out  Cities 101: How Do Dogs Become MTA Police Officers? and Meet the Adorable Dogs of the K9 Unit That Protect Amtrak at Penn Station