Sunday, March 25, 2012

Happy Birthday Sparky!

March 18th was the 61st Birthday of Sparky the Fire Dog.

This little dog has saved thousands of lives over the years by serving as the spokesdog for fire safety and prevention.


Sparky was created in 1951 for an Advertising Council campaign. The campaign aimed to educate people about the danger of fires, especially children (who are frequently at high risk). Over 3,000 people die in house fires each year and thousands more are injured, but Sparky helped work to change that.

Speaking of fires, did you know that pets can cause fires?

The most common way a pet can cause a fire is by knocking over a candle.

But here is an unusual story:

My golden retriever started a fire in my home. She was alone on house duty, when she got bored and decided to chew on the large stick match box. Apparently she was able to rub them together to start a fire. It was a good thing my daughter came home earlier than I as there was a fire going in the middle of the living room and it was not in the wood stove. A wise teenager, she immediately got the kitchen fire extinguisher to put out the fire.


Do you have decals on each side of your home indicating to fire personnel that you have pets in your home? In case of an emergency, firefighters can locate and save your pets. You can buy these decals, which are quite inexpensive, or you can take just a few minutes and make your own. Here is a template; all you will need is a color printer.

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