From 'rags to riches,' shelter dog becomes Madeira Beach Fire Dept. mascot

MADEIRA BEACH (FOX 13) - With scars from her past, a dog named Clover has a bright future ahead of her.

On Wednesday, Clover became the newest member of the Madeira Beach Fire Department, as a station mascot and community ambassador. She was just a few weeks old when she, her mom, and her littler-mates were trapped in a house fire. During the fire, the mom crawled on top of her pups, protecting them from the flames, and they all survived. However, a baby gate fell on top of clover, burning her and disfiguring her ears.

Clover has been at the Suncoast Animal League ever since, but will become a big part of the Madeira Beach community. The staff at the fire station are planning to teacher her to “stop, drop and roll” for fire safety presentations at schools. 

She was even given a real badge, the Suncoast Animal League wrote on its Facebook page, calling her tale a "rags to riches" story.

“She may even help save a few lives,” they wrote. “Special thanks to all the members of Madeira Beach Fire Department #25 for the love and attention you are giving her. Few dogs will ever be so lucky to have sooo many moms and dads to love them and to have a job to keep them active.”