MARYLAND — All heroes don’t wear capes, but some of them have fur. Meet "Sky," an accelerant detection K9 who is hanging up her cape and turning in her badge.
According to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, Sky has been the partner and friend of Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Melissa Decker. For over seven years, Sky has been vital in finding hard-to-detect flammable liquids to help strengthen cases against arsonists.
Her nose has also helped to eliminate the possibility of flammable substances being used in a fire. As a result, authorities could zero in on other possible causes for a blaze.
She earned her service paws after being trained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the “Puppy Behind Bars Program." She was then placed in the Accelerant Detection Program, and the rest was history.
Decker and Sky graduated in December 2016 from class #117. Time and time again, the K9 answered the bark, assisting with firefighters, investigators, community events, school functions, and public demonstrations. The duo has been running together in rare air. They were one of 71 fire marshal/K9 teams in the U.S.
Last Friday, Sky received a big bowl of food to celebrate her retirement—a feast well deserved.
