The very first accelerant detection canine – or arson detection dog – was “Mattie,” a Labrador Retriever trained by the Connecticut State Police with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 1986. Mattie could alert to seventeen different odors of ignitable liquids (like gasoline, lighter fluid, etc.), and her success led the way for ATF’s Accelerant Detection Canine Program established in 1993 through the sponsorship of State Farm Insurance, the nation’s largest homeowner’s insurer.

The program has placed over 350 arson dog teams in 44 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, each team having gone through 200 hours of training. Arson dogs can be an assortment of breeds, but all the dogs at this program are Labrador Retrievers, most having been gotten from certified companion programs, shelters, or rescue, and many are “career change” dogs who were raised to be a service or guide dog, but didn’t complete their training because they were too energetic or rambunctious.

Dogs, as well know, have a fabulous sense of smell, some breeds better than others. They can cover a scene in less than 30 minutes and do in that time what it takes humans days to do,  but why Labs? In part, because this breed knows “how to work a crowd.” No kidding. An arson dog is encouraged to mingle among spectators at a fire scene because the arsonist may be in the crowd watching. Labs are friendly and sociable, and have a “love to work” attitude that puts people at ease, even as they are being “checked out” by a dog looking for accelerants on clothing, shoes or someone’s body.

Back in 2014, Victoria Stillwell hosted a series on arson dogs which you can still see on-line. Check out the trailer below:

Impressive!

Just this past week, “Chance,” the Philadelphia Fire Department Arson and Explosives Task Force’s arson dog, retired. “Chance” detected accelerants at over 600 fire scenes in his career. A younger dog is stepping in, and “Chance” will spend his golden years with his partner, Lieutenant George Werez, both seen in the image above. Well done, and good boy, “Chance!”