That’s the message that Gov. Josh Shapiro brought to Ron and Cindy Ecklund, the individuals who called in the tip that resulted in the apprehension of jail escapee Michael Burham.

Shapiro stopped at their Jackson Run Road home on Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to meeting the couple and seeing where they encountered Burham, Shapiro presented $10,000 in reward funding them. “You deserve every penny of it,” he said.

And representatives from the Pennsylvania State Police brought some toys and treats for Tucker.

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Tucker, who alerted Ron and Cindy Ecklund to the presence of who turned out to be Michael Burham, lounging in Jackson Run Tuesday afternoon.

“He’s a hero,” Shapiro said of the 6-year-old chocolate lab mix that alerted the Ecklunds to Burham’s location.

Tucker may have also picked up some employment prospects, as well.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens asked if Tucker was looking for a part-time job.

“You did exactly the right thing,” Bivens told the Ecklunds.

“We’d do the same thing again,” Ron Ecklund said.

“This is why I make it a rule to get out of the capitol as much as I can,” Shapiro said, and “be with Pennsylvanians.”

He even facetimed First Lady Lori Shapiro so that she could meet the Ecklunds and Tucker.

Warren County has picked up a degree of notoriety nationwide in recent weeks and Shapiro said that’s part of why he wanted to come meet the Ecklunds.

“I wanted to come here today (to) celebrate these wonderful people,” he said. “I think this speaks to the wonderful culture here in northwest Pennsylvania and all across our Commonwealth – neighbor helping neighbor. I think that’s a wonderful story.”

The state Attorney General’s office is now prosecuting the escape charges that Burham faces.

Shapiro, who served as Attorney General before his election as the state’s executive, said that the AG’s office has “outstanding investigators and prosecutors” that “do a great job” working both with the state police and local law enforcement.

“I have all the confidence in the world in them,” he said.