SARANAC LAKE — When Saranac Lake’s volunteer firefighters returned from a tough call, they always knew they’d have a friendly face to greet them at the door.
Dalmatians have been companions to the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department for decades, with firefighters welcoming a new dalmatian — each named Smokey — every few years after its predecessor’s passing.
“After a bad call … Smokey was just a great therapy to come back to, and you know, get the unconditional love from a dog,” said Brendan Keough, former fire chief of SLVFD for 14 years. “There’s something about dogs … they have a great sense of people.”
The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s sixth dalmatian, Smokey, passed away on Friday, June 28. Her fiery spirit and kind heart have not been forgotten by those who were close to her.
Smokey was with the department for nearly 16 years, SLVFD Head Fire Driver Rick Yorkey said Monday. She was born in 2008.
Smokey visits with children along a parade route in Saranac Lake
(Photo provided)
Yorkey said he has a lot of memories of Smokey. She was the longest-living dalmatian out of all six SLVFD has owned so far. Yorkey, who has been with the department since 1985, has known four of its dalmatians — the other dalmatians that Yorkey knew lived for three to six years less than this dog.
Dalmatians are sometimes considered to be mean, Yorkey said, but SLVFD have never had a mean dalmatian.
“They were all amazing,” he said.
It’s always hard to let go “when it’s that time,” he added. Yorkey said that letting go of Smokey was especially painful for him.
“She was just like any other family pet with everybody here. … We thought she’d go forever,” he said.
Smokey stands next to gifts donated for the Holiday Helpers toy drive. (Photo provided)
As a puppy, Smokey made her acting debut on a popular Animal Planet TV show — season two, episode one of the series “DOGS 101.” Firefighters applied for her to be in the “Chicago Fire” series too, although she didn’t get into that one, according to Yorkey.
Yorkey said that Smokey’s main role with SLVFD was to entertain classes of local children for Fire Prevention Week. The firefighters would have to keep her away from the kids when giving fire safety instructions and demonstrations, or else the children would be “more interested in the dog,” Yorkey said.
Keough said that Smokey would demonstrate “stop, drop and roll” to the children.
These days, most fire departments have dalmatians to boost morale and community outreach, just like Smokey did. The history of how dalmatians originally became fire dogs, however, dates back to the 1700s, and they originally served a much different role, Dalmatian Club of America Historian Cheryl F. Steinmetz wrote in an article for the American Kennel Club.
Dalmatians started out as horse stable and carriage guards for the early fire departments because of their loyalty, attentiveness, receptiveness to training and high energy levels. Dalmatians also may have been chosen as fire dogs because they have a reputation for being good with horses, although there is no scientific support for that observation, according to Steinmetz. After that, dalmatians became a traditional part of the fire service, even after there was no need for horses anymore.
Smokey eats a sweet treat.
(Photos courtesy Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department)
When not at the fire house, one of Smokey’s favorite pastimes was going boating up and down Adirondack lakes, including Oseetah Lake, according to Yorkey.
Toward the end of her life, Smokey suffered from carpal flexural deformity, commonly known as Dog Knuckling, a disorder where spinal cord degeneration made her brain unable to coordinate her paws properly. This caused her to walk on the top of her paws instead of the pads, putting her in considerable discomfort, and eventually Yorkey said they had to make the decision to have her euthanized. One of their previous dogs also ended up with this condition. Smokey was cremated at Remember Me Pet Cemetery in West Chazy.
Yorkey said they are trying to get a new dalmatian from the same bloodline as Smokey and her predecessors. Breeder Sharon Lyons helped the department acquire their last four dalmatians, but she is suffering from a serious illness, so her son has directed SLVFD to another breeder they can reach out to, according to Yorkey. This might mean they can’t keep the same bloodline.
A photo of Smokey still adorns the wall of Yorkey’s office in the firehouse. For now, Smokey’s dog bed in the basement of the fire house remains empty.
Smokey enjoys a boat ride. (Photo provided)
Smokey as a puppy.
(Photo provided)
A photo of Smokey is hung in Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Head Fire Driver Rick Yorkey’s office, seen here on Monday.
(Enterprise photo — Galen Halasz)
Saranac Lake Fire Department Head Fire Driver Rick Yorkey stands next to a dog bed where the past four Smokey’s have slept in the SLVFD station. (Enterprise photo — Galen Halasz)
