Todaynwe honor dalmatians that serve as mascots for fire departments.
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nWhynwould fire fighters have a dog? I found several sources that claimnthat, in the past, dalmatian dogs helped keep rats away from firenhouses but also, more importantly, guided the horse-drawn fire wagonsnthrough city streets, helping the horses to stay calm. (Part ofnkeeping the horses calm included running off other dogs!)
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nOncenat a fire, the dalmatian dogs could guard the horses and firenequipment from vandalism and theft and (one source claimed) keep thencrowds a safe distance away from the blaze. The distinctive spottednfur of dalmatians was important because people could recognize thatnthey were fire dogs.
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nDalmatiansnwere bred for endurance and for the ability to bond with horses.nApparently they were used as coach dogs, running alongsidenhorse-drawn carriages and keeping horses calm, before they werenpressed into service by fire departments. n
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nHerenare some educational materials on fire safety.
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nHerenis the Firepup page, with several products and links to freebies,nincluding the coloring, puzzles, and painting activities here.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nRaccoon Appreciation Day
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nInternational Music Day