Madeira Beach's fearless fire dog passes on lessons to community

MADEIRA BEACH (FOX 13) - The sounds of a fire house we come to expect are sirens and loud engines, not dogs. It's been a long time since firehouses had dogs but in Madeira Beach, they find comfort in having their own.

They looked and looked and suddenly came upon Clover at the Suncoast Animal League who really stood out. She had been burned in a house fire when she was a week old in Alabama. Today, Clover still has some scarring on her head and her left ear is misshaped. 

Hearing her story, the firefighters of Station 25 knew that Clover was the dog for them.

"Having Clover here feels more like a home," explained firefighter Erick Ubiles. "Everyone's mood is a lot better than it used to be. Some calls can be really stressful, so it's nice having her here and she can take us down off of those high emotions. It's good, having a really good effect here."

Clover isn't just going to be a member of the family, she's also member of the department after she was sworn-in earlier this year. Clover is being trained to demonstrate fire safety and prevention like "Stop, Drop and Roll."

"We think that kids meeting her and seeing her do that will stick with kids and stick better than just telling them about it" Ubiles said.

Because of the great work the Suncoast Animal League did with Clover and the other animals they help, Madeira Beach Fire is doing a fundraiser to benefit the organization.

They're selling t-Shirts with the name "Clover" on it for $20. They can be purchased at the Madeira Beach Fire Department from Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. They are located at 250 Municipal Drive. The shirts are also sold at Pinch-A-Penny at 36235 Eastlake Road South in Palm Harbor. They are open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Also on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You can donate directly to the Suncoast Animal League by visiting their website at SuncoastAnimalLeague.org.