Mental Floss describes how, “Dalmatians…more than any other breed of dog, formed an amazingly close bond with horses once they were introduced. Because the Dalmatian is such an active breed, they were capable of keeping pace with the firehouse cart and horses even when sprinting for incredible distances. They would then typically run in pairs, with one on each side of the coach, to the site of the fire.
The dogs became the first firehouse siren, barking outside the station to alert bystanders and clear the area in the event of an emergency. This typically involved a horse drawn cart loaded with a steam pumper, and ultimately, a Dalmatian or two. Since the fire trucks we are familiar with did not exist at the time, most fire stations had to make due with the same mode of transportation as the rest of society. Firefighters eventually noticed the advantageous qualities of the Dalmatian as well, but instead of flaunting them, they put them to work. These were the days of the horse drawn carriage, and the wealthy-having noticed the breed’s strength and endurance-quickly found that the Dalmatian made the perfect coach escort. But how did it come to be that this dog was the face of the fire service? Well, it all started with a horse and a cart.ĭalmatians first began their transition to firehouse mascot back in England as early as the 1700s where they were seen as a status symbol. That is-if you don’t think of the popular Disney film first. When most of us think of Dalmatians, our minds are drawn to the black and white furry heroes sitting atop big, red fire trucks.
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