With her red-painted nails, matching bandana and fire hat, Molly the Dalmatian earned a special spot in the hearts of children nationwide through fire safety education.
Since 9 weeks old, Molly helped Arkansas-based retired firefighter Dayna Hilton teach kids about home escape maps, crawling low under smoke and everything in between.
“Molly could test the smoke alarm with her nose,” said Hilton, who lives in the state FEMA ranked fourth for fire deaths. “We wanted them to recognize the sound and purpose of a smoke alarm.”
Copper storage disease claimed the 10-year-old dog’s life in December, a week and a half shy of reaching children in her 50th state of Idaho.
Molly’s fire safety legacy lives on through her younger brother, Boden, who completed Molly’s goal earlier this month.
“I know Molly was looking down on us that day,” Hilton said.