Earlier this year firefighters in Haines City, Florida found a two year old American Staffordshire Terrier tied to a tree. She was wearing a muzzle and had been left with no food or water.
“We weren’t going to leave her there, so we untied her and we walked over to the truck and when we got to the truck she just jumped right up into the back,” Fire Chief Bill Jolley said. When the firefighters got back to the station they decided to name the dog Ember and keep her.
Ember is now a part of the firehouse family and every day she has seven guys to give her attention. There were some adjustments for the firefighters and Ember when she first moved in. Ember had to learn that when the guys all had to leave for a call they would come back. The firefighters all chip in to pay for Embers expenses and make sure not to use any tax dollars. “We’ve got a little envelope that whenever someone has a spare dollar, they’ll throw it into the dog fund,” said firefighter Jonathan Herlocker.
The guys love having Ember around the firehouse. “Now she’s the most spoiled dog in the world. She gets all the food she wants, all the treats she wants. If she could tell you herself, I’m sure she’d tell you she’s in heaven,” said firefighter Brett Dipiero. Ember helps the firefighters’ downtime go by a little quicker and keeps everyone’s spirits up. Her new favorite game is to play tug-o-war with an old fire hose. The firefighters hope to bring Ember along on an antique fire truck during parades and show her off to the public soon.
