Two-year-old spaniel Phoenix nose how to crack a crime.
After being trained to sniff out the source of blazes, he is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s latest recruit.
His abilities were discovered after he was rescued from an illegal puppy farm.
Following a year of training, Phoenix is an asset to his colleagues when they’re probing the causes of deliberate fires.
Phoenix was put through his paces by dog handler and fire investigation officer Jonathan Honeyman, based in Glasgow.
He said: “It was quite clear very early on that Phoenix had tremendous capabilities for helping with our investigations – he can detect the slightest trace of ignitable liquids up to one metre below debris left by a fire.
“He can be brought on site hours, days or weeks after an incident to search a wide radius to trace any evidence, which is a huge advantage to us.”
Phoenix was rescued from a puppy farm in Aberdeenshire in 2017 by the Scottish SPCA. He was cared for at its rescue centre in Glasgow before joining the emergency services.
Centre manager Anna O’Donnell said: “We are pleased he is now trained and working to keep communities safe.”
