Buddy, the beloved Fire Station 69 Dalmatian, died last Saturday at his Ojai ‘retirement home,’ where he lived with firefighter Joe Avales and family. He was cremated, and a memorial service will be held later when his ashes are placed by the flagpole in front of the fire station. Buddy was a favorite of the community and a fixture at school field trips and birthday parties. He also rode the fire engine at the Palisades Fourth of July parade and with Santa at Holiday Ho!Ho!Ho! every December. He came to the fire station in 1995 and his name was chosen through a community contest. A later contest allowed children to guess how many spots Buddy had: 287. There are no immediate plans to replace Buddy at Station 69.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
