Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — While May is a big month for high school and college graduations, there was a ceremony of a different type in Bridgewater on Thursday.
Two Labrador retrievers, Bentley and Newman, were among seven dogs in all graduating from the State Fire Marshal's K9 Training Program.
Bentley and Newman were provided by NEADS World Class Service Dogs to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services to help investigators determine the cause of suspicious fires.
Both dogs completed a 13-week training program.
They were initially trained as Service Dogs to help people who are deaf or have hearing loss, but during their training they demonstrated traits better served to work in law enforcement and public safety.
Kara Milotte is the Manager of NEADS Client Services.
She said the dogs ended up in the right place. "What we're finding is the dogs with a little more energy, with a little higher drive, have been a wonderful fit for these state police units."
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Gregory Spahl said the dogs are trained to enter a fire scene and use their abilities to identify the exact source of a fire. "We could not do our jobs completely without these canines," he said.
Spahl said that Labrador retrievers once they are paired up with their law enforcement partners can make great fire detection dogs. "They have great noses. And they are very friendly," he said.
Also graduating in the ceremony Thursday were five other dogs joining law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
WBZ NewsRadio's Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.