NEED TO KNOW
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Ember the Dalmatian was surrendered to a Florida rescue when her owner was stationed overseas
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Fire Chief Ross Sheffield adopted Ember after the DeFuniak Springs Fire Department unanimously voted to welcome her as its new mascot
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Ember is in training and will soon start connecting with the community and teaching kids about fire safety
Ember the Dalmatian is right where she is meant to be.
The 1-year-old dog recently found herself without a family when her former owner had to make the difficult decision to surrender the dog after learning they would soon be stationed overseas. To ensure that Ember found another home, the dog’s former owner surrendered the dog to the Alaqua Animal Refuge, a no-kill rescue dedicated to helping homeless pets.
In March, not long after Ember moved into the Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida, the perfect fit for the dog strolled in.
“We were talking to one of the workers at Alaqua, and they brought Ember in, and we started playing with her. I’ve always loved dogs, and we just kept playing with Ember,” Ross Sheffield, the fire chief of the DeFuniak Springs Fire Department, tells PEOPLE.
Sheffield was visiting the rescue with a city manager when Ember won him over. It was hard for Sheffield to ignore that, as a Dalmatian, Ember would make an ideal fit for his fire station. The breed is known for its work in U.S. fire stations and was tapped for the role of firehouse dog for its loud barks, ease around horses, and calm demeanor in the face of chaos, according to the American Kennel Club.
Ember at the DeFuniak Springs Fire Department
Credit: Alaqua Animal Refuge
“The Dalmatian was part of the crew. When they got a fire call, they had horses pull the fire wagon, and the Dalmatian ran beside the horses and barked. Back then, they didn’t have sirens; all they had was a bell, but that bark—the citizens would hear it and get out of the street. Once they got to the fire, the Dalmatians protected their equipment and kept the horses calm,” Sheffield explains about the role Dalmatians played in early fire departments.
After meeting Ember for the first time, Sheffield started considering adoption and brought the idea to the firehouse.
“I wanted to discuss it with the firefighters, so we took a vote, and everyone voted yes. We wanted to get Ember. The next day, we adopted Ember,” the fire chief says.
Ross Sheffield with Ember the Dalmatian
Credit: Alaqua Animal Refuge
Since her March adoption, Ember has been settling into life at the DeFuniak Springs Fire Department, where she loves greeting all the firefighters and working with a trainer to master firehouse dog skills.
“Ember is very active. She’s got a lot of energy, which is good. She’s curious and always looking around,” Sheffield says of the pooch.
Ross Sheffield holding Ember the dog
Credit: Alaqua Animal Refuge
The community around the DeFuniak Springs Fire Department is also pleased with Ember’s arrival.
“Once people found out we adopted Ember and put it on our Facebook page, it exploded within hours,” the fire chief shares, adding that animal lovers are coming by to meet the canine. “They can’t wait for us to actually start taking Ember out so they can meet her.”
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Ember’s firehouse responsibilities won’t be to keep horses calm or bark at passersby; instead, she will focus on connecting with the community, especially kids, about the importance of fire safety.
Read the original article on People