The debut of Taiwan's first arson investigation dog has gone off without a hitch.
The Hsinchu City Fire Department praised "Hammer" -- as the dog is affectionately called -- for quickly sniffing out the origins of a recent fire that gutted 14 rooms of a subsidized apartment complex in Hsinchu, and locating a body in the rubble.
Hammer also helped to determine that the fire was not set deliberately.
The dog's performance is especially impressive given that his inspection spanned an extensive investigation scene that had been soaked by two days of rain. Still, Hammer quickly located vital clues.
Thanks to Hammer's help, authorities are following credible leads indicating that the fire resulted from vagrants burning trash near the apartment.
Although Hammer is the first of his kind in Taiwan, arson investigation dogs are key members of fire departments across the US.
Many US insurance companies have been so impressed with the dogs' skills that they have sought to establish in-house arson investigation K-9 units to deal with an increase in fire claims.
According to senior arson investigator Huang Yu-sheng (
Dogs like Hammer spend two years in training, after which fire investigation authorities put the dogs to work systematically sniffing through investigation scenes.
With a sense of smell 40 times greater than humans, these dogs make quick work of locating important clues.
Hammer's prowess in the field is likely to lead to more arson investigation dogs joining forces with Taiwanese authorities.
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