DETROIT – A major donation to the Detroit Fire Department has allowed the firefighters to welcome a furry friend to the team.
Cricket is a lovable young lab that is specially trained and is aimed to help Detroit investigators.
The young lab has a job to do as Detroit’s first dedicated arson dog venturing into burned-out homes and buildings. The pup is trained to sniff out and accelerate like gasoline to spark an arson investigation.
Detroit’s Arson Squad asked the Detroit Public Safety Foundation if it could raise the money for a $10,000 K9 and Detroit Dog Rescue came to the rescue with a $10,000 check.
“To have an arson dog here in Detroit is a wonderful thing and DDR is happy to be a part of that,” said Kristina Rinaldi of Detroit Dog Rescue.
At fire scenes, we do see arson investigators using a dog to sniff out clues – dogs on loan from agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Michigan State Police.
But now Cricket is a full-time arson dog with the Detroit Fire Department.
“We got this one for our unit so we will always have k-9 on standby at all times,” said Chief Dennis Richardson of the Detroit Fire Investigation Unit.
“In the last 13 years, Detroit Dog Rescue has had the privilege of working alongside some of the best firefighters, but it’s not always a happy outcome.
Sadly, I’ve carried my share of dying dogs from the arms of firefighters to emergency exam rooms. I’ve held oxygen masks on dogs with carbon monoxide poisoning and watched some succumb to burns of neurological disorders from the lack of oxygen.
All of that is nothing in comparison to what the Detroit Fire Department sees day in and day out. The worst part, some of these fires are the cause of arson - and the crimes are never solved. That is changing. I knew the residents deserved and needed more.
For my 40th birthday (back in January) I wanted to do something impactful. So, when I found out the @cityofdetroit + Public Safety Foundation was in need of an Arson dog specifically trained for the department, I knew this was the perfect fit.
Through some @detroitdogrescue donors and help from @kukula12 who worked on this project for months at The Public Safety Foundation, we were able to raise enough money to purchase Detroit’s own Arson dog, K9 Cricket.
K9 Cricket will live with her officer and handler, Lieutenant Kish. She will start working immediately. She is a 2-year-old Labrador who has been trained to detect chemicals used in arson.
To say she is an asset to Detroit is an understatement. I spent the morning with the departments at Police Headquarters finally meeting the best gift, K9 Cricket.
For the rest of her career and into her retirement, Cricket’s medical care on and off the job will be paid for by the Rinaldi Family through Detroit Dog Rescue and the Public Safety Foundation.
Go BE GREAT, Cricket! You have a whole city behind you!
At Detroit Dog Rescue it’s always been about the dogs, but even more, the safety of the residents and the best outcomes for the city’s health and growth.”
Kristina Rinaldi, Detroit Dog Rescue -- April 18, 2023
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