About Tiller:

Tiller’s Birthday is March 11, 2006 and was born in New York.

Owners: Robert and Amy Cembor.

By the way that's Rob in the photo with Tiller as a puppy.

He is a “patched” Dalmatian which means one of his ears is entirely black. 

Tiller comes from a long line of Champion Dalmatians.

Tiller has six other brother and sisters.  He was born with a twin, another patched puppy.  Dalmatians are born all white without spots except for Tiller and his brother who were patched.  Patched Dalmatians are born all white with a black ear.  Tiller goes to school every week.  He does his homework every night so that he can pass his test to be a Good Citizen.  He loves to play ball and run long distances.

History of Dalmatians:

   The Dalmatian breed is very old; no one is really sure where they came from.  Dalmatians have always had a strong bond with horses.  They are able to run great distances allowing them to keep up with horses.  In the years when fire departments used horse-drawn fire trucks, Dalmatians spent many hours in the stables keeping the company waiting for a fire call.  When the bell rang the Dalmatian led the way clearing the path for the horses to travel.  At the fire, where there is always a lot of commotion and confusion, the Dalmatians would be there to help calm the horses and protect the equipment.   Although horses are no longer seen in the modern firehouse, the Dalmatian has remained an enduring mascot.

For more information:

http://www.publicsafety.net/dalmatian.htm

http://www.thedca.org/

http://www.local1259iaff.org/dalmatians.html