(Clayton Fire Department Facebook Post)
CLAYTON – This morning, the Clayton Fire Department had to say goodbye to one of our own. Lucy the Fire Dog joined our family in 2007, when Chief Barbee and his wife, Donna, saw her in the Walmart parking lot while buying supplies for a Fire Department cookout.
Originally Lucy was suppose to belong to their then teenage son, but the connection between Chief and Lucy was immediate.
She followed him EVERYWHERE, within in a few months she was spending as much time at the station and running calls as Chief Barbee. She came to every meeting, every training and every call – when the pager went off she knew it was time to jump in the truck.
She actually started running calls at night because she had a gift for spotting deer and Chief would tell her to keep an eye out as he navigated.
When they would pull up on a call, Lucy would stay in the car until things calmed down.
One day during a structure fire call in Riverwood, the homeowner was very distraught and personnel were having a hard time calming her down. Lucy jumped out of the truck, ran right over to the home owner and snuggled up forcing the homeowner to pet her until she calmed down. Lucy was just that way, she could read people and connected immediately with those in need.
When meetings in Town ran long, Lucy would end them by letting everyone know she needed to go to the bathroom, she constantly stole the show at Fire Prevention talks and loved to sneak back into the kitchen to get fed or grab a biscuit from Biscuitville.
Over the last 14 years, “Lucy the Fire Dog” has become a major part of the Clayton Fire Department and the whole Town of Clayton.
We will miss having her at our feet, we will miss the way she would howl with the sirens but most of all we will miss seeing her interact with all of you.
Rest Easy Lucy Girl and Thank you for your service.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I’m so so sorry Chief. She was the sweetest Babygirl. I know y’all will all miss her. 💔
We will all see you one day on the Rainbow Bridge Ms.Lucy.
Run free Lucy girl…
Condolences for the loss of a faithful pet.