JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
A friendly bet among those who protect the public in Jacksonville was settled Thursday with a smooch.
However, it was no ordinary kiss -- the loser had to kiss a pig.
In March, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Fire-Rescue Department duked it out in their annual Guns 'N Hoses boxing event.
The police won more matches than the firefighters and Thursday morning, the fire department's spokesman, Tom Francis, had to pucker up.
"I was taken aback by the refusal of the pig to accept my advances," Francis said. "I though for sure that I'd done everything a gentleman should do -- bring in flowers, candy, used the Binaca to get rid of my horrible smoke breath."
The JSO showed off its championship belt as Francis kneeled down and puckered up. As he moved in, the pig began to squeal.
"I think the pig enjoyed it more than Tom did," said JSO spokesman Ken Jefferson. "The sweetest part of all was when Tom got his knees with his flowers and his candy and puckered up and kissed the pig, and the pig actually squealed. It was a squeal of pleasure -- sheer pleasure."
"If and when we, the Jacksonville Fire-Rescue Department, win Guns 'N Hoses, it will not be a Dalmatian that Ken has to kiss," Francis said after the kiss.
This year's Guns 'N Hoses event raised $50,000 for the Police Athletic League, and about $30,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
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