London Fire Brigade has said a fond farewell to one of its Fire Investigation dogs who has had to take early retirement.
Three-year-old English springer spaniel Watson fractured a bone in his paw while off duty and has since also been diagnosed with elbow dysplasia, meaning the Brigade has taken the difficult decision to retire him from active service.
His handler, Fire Investigation Officer Darren Woodhams, has made the tough choice to rehome Watson so he can take on a new fire dog who is due to join the ranks soon.
The new dog, an eight-month-old female cocker spaniel, has been sourced by the Brigade’s existing trainer and will be trained on the job by Darren.
Next week, a poll will launch on the Brigade’s social media to encourage supporters to get involved in choosing the name of the new dog. Follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see the shortlisted names and have your say.
In the meantime, Darren is working with partners and there is a process in place to ensure Watson is found a suitable and loving home who can give him the support he needs.
Darren said: “When I collected Watson at 10-months-old, he was an extremely driven and free-spirited young dog.
“We have built an amazing bond and he has developed into a fantastic search dog and companion.
“While I am sad to be letting him go, I know he will go on to have a wonderful life and will bring great joy to his new family and everyone that has the pleasure of meeting him.”
The Brigade’s fire dogs are trained to identify a range of ignitable substances to determine whether fires have been started deliberately. They use their keen sense of smell to identify an area of interest and they can also identify evidence which can link suspects to a scene and assist with criminal investigations.
In the past, our dogs have even secured evidence which has been used in a murder conviction.
They are also fantastic ambassadors for the Brigade and encourage the community to engage with staff about fire safety and the work of the Fire Investigation team.
Elbow dysplasia is a common condition in working breeds and spaniels in particular. With treatment and medication, Watson shouldn’t have any real issues in the imminent future but it will sadly eventually lead to osteoarthritis.
Once Watson gets to five, his new owner will benefit from the support offered by the London Retired Police Dogs Trust which recently took on all the Brigade’s fire investigation dogs.
Since joining the Brigade at the end of 2019, Watson has assisted Darren and the Fire Investigation team at a number of significant and high-profile incidents and he has also supported frontline staff who have attended particularly traumatic fires.
Our other fire dogs, cocker spaniel Sherlock and English springer spaniel Simba, who was recently shortlisted for a Kennel Club national award, will continue to support the Fire Investigation team while the new dog is trained.