The first of his breed, an ex-fighting Pitbull named Hansel, is now employed as an arson detection dog in New Jersey.
According to reports, Hansel was rescued from a dogfighting racket in Canada when he was only seven weeks old. He was then taken to Throw Away Dogs Project, which is a charitable organization located in Philadelphia.
The organization’s mission is to rescue unique dogs and provide specialist canines for authorities.
Hansel trained for a whole year with Throw Away Dogs before enrolling on a 16-week canine course to become a certified arson detection K9 officer with his handler Tyler Van Leer.
Even though Hansel has a violent and brutal past, Carol Skaziak, founder of the project, said that he has real potential and the qualities of a “regular working dog.”
Four-year-old Hansel is now this month’s appointed canine to the Millville Fire Department, New Jersey, and his handler Officer Van Leer couldn’t have been more proud.
The pair investigates properties destroyed by fire. Hansel’s job is to sniff out the potential source of the fire. It can be flammable liquids that may have been used to set the place aflame deliberately.
Hansel was trained to sniff out 14 different odors and specifically trained to identify flammable liquids like gasoline, kerosene, and diesel, to name a few.
To tell his handler, Van Leer, whether the fire was caused by a particular chemical or liquid, Hansel sits up if he smells something odd. If he doesn’t sit, then the cause of the fire was most likely not intentional.
Office Van Leer also shared that Hansel is always excited to go to work. Whenever he asks him if he’s ready to take on the job, Hansel would bring out the harness and starts doing laps around the crate.
Watch Hansel in action in this video:
ICYMI:This dog is now the FIRST pitbull to become an arson detection K-9 in the state! His journey to get here made national news a few years back. Throw Away Dogs ProjectMillville Fire DepartmentNew Jersey Police K-9 Association
Posted by Erika Shych TV on Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Source: Video from Erika Shych TV via Facebook