Memorials to Fallen K-9s 
 ARSON K-9s page 1 
Gone but never forgotten
 F.A.S.T. Co. donates cards to all partners 
of all working dogs/horses sent by priority mail
In Loving Memory of
K-9 Newby 
July 24, 1988 - March 24, 2001

Loved & handled by 
Susan DeAntonio 
Rancho Cucomonga Fire Department, CA







 
Newby was originally a loyal guide dog who flawlessly guided Mr. Brown for two years throughout Chaffey College and the city. After they were involved in an accident crossing the street, Newby was generously given up for adoption by Mr. Brown to Fire Investigator De Antonio; he refused to cross streets again. 
Newby was sponsored by Soroptimist International Baldy View as a community service project. He was specifically obtained for Mr. Brown. The Soroptimists continued to sponsor Newby through payment of some of his training costs and support of his trading cards. Newby was known internationally through 12,000 'K9 Newby' trading cards distributed throughout the U.S., Siberia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, England, Israel, Germany and Norway. Newby was made an official 'Arson K9' Dec.  7, 1994 and had a distinguished career, investigating 100 fires worth millions of dollars. He was privileged to be honored twice by WeTIP as investigator of the year.  He performed the first-ever Fire K9 demonstration in an RC courtroom. The jury convicted the arsonist and sent him to prison for four years. Newby served the community in other ways. Off duty, he visited hospice patients. He often comforted children and grandchildren of hospice families. There were many times his beautiful, soft white coat caught the tears of grieving loved ones, unable to express in words their pain and loss. Newby also called on the pediatric unit at Kaiser hospital to visit Rookie Joshua Wilson. Hospital staff still recall the time they found Newby napping in bed with the happy patient. 
Newby was promoted to 'Training Officer' in 1998, when he selected K9 Gator to be the second 'Arson K9' at RCFD. Newby did all the training of Gator and K9 'Spanner,'  of LA County fire department. Newby retired Oct. 9, 1999. He greeted visitors and joined tours at the fire station. He was Rancho Cucamonga Fire District's fulltime Ambassador of Goodwill. He will be missed.
In Loving Memory of
K-9 JED
Oct. 4, 1991 - April 18, 2000 

Handler:
Steven F. Reichert 

 Investigation Team in Erie, PA
Steve Reichert had the honor of serving with his partner Jed as the K-9 Fire. Investigation Team in Erie, Pennsylvania beginning in 1992. Jed was diagnosed on March 6, 2000 with hemolytic anemia and he passed away at home with his family on April 18, 2000. Jed’s distinguished career included working with federal, state, local and private fire investigators to help determine the cause of hundreds of fires throughout the Erie area. Jed was a regular guest of many groups in the Erie community where he enjoyed demonstrating his talent and the love he held for his work. Jed was recognized throughout the country as one of the most accomplished dogs in accelerant detection. The achievements of his career would be too numerous to list. Jed was not only a pioneer, but also a true leader in a field that his experiences helped to define. In addition to his formal work, Jed was a noble companion and friend to all of those who knew him. Jed’s dedicated service and unconditional love will be remembered forever. 
In Loving Memory of
K-9 HERSHEY 
Aug. 3, 1986 - Sept. 27, 2001 

New York State 
Office of Fire Prevention & Control 
Investigator: Richard P Rogozinski
Bethlehem, Albany County, NY

THE PASSING OF K-9 HERSHEY
    It is with deep regret that the New York state Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) reports  the passing of K-9 Hershey, one of the original two K-9 accelerant detection bio-sensor units utilized by OFPC's Arson Bureau. The OFPC's Arson bureau implemented a K-9 accelerant detection unit in 1988 as part of its program for providing fire investigation assistance to local fire departments, law enforcement and arson task forces. At that time, K-9 Hershey, a chocolate Labrador retriever and K-9 Buddy, a yellow Labrador retriever, (deceased Oct. 98) along with their human partners, Investigator Richard P Rogozinski and Michael E Knowlton (respectively) attended and completed an intense 10-week training school conducted by the Atlantic City, New Jersey Police Department. The K-9 teams were trained to detect minute traces as well as large quantities  of ignitible liquid residue (gasoline, kerosine, etc.) used by arsonist to imitate and/or intensify a fire. K-9 Hershey worked for the state Arson Bureau for 10 1/4 years retiring from active service in October 1998.  During K-9 Hershey's career, he assisted in  302 statewide cases and assisted with cases in Vermont and Massachusetts.  Two hundred and twenty-six (226) of those cases were arson jobs, which claimed 164 lives and resulted in more than 125 million dollars in direct fire losses. One of those set fires, the Happy land social Club fire (March 1990), resulted in New York's largest arson homicides. A total of 87 people lost their lives. The perpetrator, Julio Gonzales, had argued with his former girlfriend and vowed revenge after being evicted from the bar. Less than one gallon of gasoline and revenge is all it took to destroy 87 lives and cause injury to 38 firefighters. K-9 Hershey and Investigator Rogozinski were flown from Albany to New York City in a NYS Police helicopter to assist in the investigation. Within three hours of the request, Hershey was searching the building for ignitable vapor residues. K-9 Hershey detected accelerant residues in the hallway of the building's only usable exit. K-9 Hershey confirmed the NYC Fire Marshals' area of origin and suspicions on the use of an accelerant.     The arsonist received the maximum sentence of  25 years to life imprisonment. He was convicted on 174 counts of murder 2nd,  two for each death; he was also sentenced to 25 to life for an arson 1st conviction and five to 15 years on an assault charge. 
K-9 Hershey and Investigator Rogozinski received several citations from the United States Police Canine Association including the Detector Dog Case of the Quarter in 1990.  This national award is bestowed to K-9 teams in recognition of outstanding performance in the detection and prevention of crime. In this case, K-9 Hershey detected accelerant residues at a triple fatal fire in Felts Mill, Jefferson County, NY. Terry Carr, a 40 year male, brutally murdered his two stepchildren and his wife in their bedrooms, then poured a flammable mixture on them and throughout the rest of the house. He then ignited the accelerant. Hershey searched the crime scene and gave seven  positive indications for the presence of an accelerant. With Hershey's assistance, Carr was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, indicted and convicted of  arson and murder charges and now is serving  a 45 year to life sentence. K-9 Hershey/Investigator Rogozinski was the first accelerant detection team to obtain an arson conviction in New York State. Hershey/Rogozinski amassed a perfect conviction  record in New York State criminal court, never losing a case. All of the cases involved the use of accelerants and positive indications from K-9 Hershey, but in only two (2) cases were positive forensic laboratory results obtained. Three (3) of their cases were appealed by defense attorneys on the use of dogs to detect accelerants.  However, in each case the decision by the lower courts was subsequently upheld by  New York State Appellate Court.  These appellate decisions, along with the rest of their testimony have been used as case law  by other K-9  accelerant detection teams in New York, as well as teams in the rest of the country, to facilitate them in qualifying in court as expert witnesses in the field of accelerant detection. K-9 Hershey/ Inv. Rogozinski  also testified in numerous civil litigations in both New York State Supreme Court and in federal court. K-9 Hershey was born in Hamilton Township, Ocean Count, New Jersey, on Aug. 3, 1986. He lived there for a year and a  half before being donated to the Atlantic City Police Department. After being teamed with Inv. Rogozinski on the Friday before Mother's Day in 1988,  Hershey  has lived with Rick and his wife, Laura, and Nick, their 30-pound house cat, in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County, NY. 
    K-9 Hershey passed away on Sept. 27, 2001. 
    Through private donations, a memorial stone honoring all of OFPC's K-9s has been erected at the  NYS Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls, Schuyler County. Tax-deductible memorial contributions in honor of  Hershey to this K-9 memorial  may be forwarded to the NYS Faculty Student Association, 600 College Avenue, Montour Falls, NY, 14865-9634. Please make your check or money order out to The NYS Faculty Student Association with a memo note, K-9 Memorial Fund. The money will be used for individual K-9  name stones as well as for perpetual care of the memorial. 

   Hershey, my brown barking friend, 
     When my mortal life comes to an end 
     We will be partners once again, 
     This time forever. 
In Loving Memory of
K-9 Blaze
Dec. 7, 1991 - Dec. 19, 2001 

Handler:
 Robert Leonard  C.F.E.I. 
Accelerant Detection K-9 WI
On Wednesday, December 19, 2001, my Fire Investigation companion, Blaze passed away. This was just 11 days after her retirement. In her distinguished career, Blaze assisted in the investigations of 170 fires in the state of Wisconsin. 
Blaze was a pioneer as an Accelerant Detection K-9 in Wisconsin. We were the first privately owned company in the State of Wisconsin to offer the services of an Accelerant Detection Dog. 
Blaze was certified in 1995 and retired Dec. 8, 2001. 
 Blaze was an exceptional dog. She was a great pet and a great companion. 
She will be truly missed and remembered for years to come. 

Robert Leonard C.F.E.I.

Please see 2003 arson dog, 
K-9 Luke
on this LINK - CLICK HERE

 
 

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