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Canto, a German Shepherd, was sworn into the department in 2002 and quickly became a dependable and reliable source for determining whether or not a petroleum based accelerant had been used at a fire scene.
According to a press release by the Greenville Fire Department, anytime that fire investigators needed assistance or felt there was probable cause that a fire may have been intentionally set, "Canto" was brought in to assist.
"When Canto "hit" on a substance at a fire scene, he would strike his paw repeatedly, signaling to his handler, Capt. Gus Spedaliere, of the possible use of an accelerant," the press release said.
Canto is credited with investigating hundreds of fires and helping bring criminal arsonists to justice. Canto was retired in 2012 and spent the remainder of his life with his handler Captain Gus and his loving family.
"Canto was also used for search and rescues and assisted on missing person cases as far away as Indiana. Canto was a great asset to the emergency responders of Westchester and surrounding areas and for that we owe him our thanks," the Greenville firefighters statement read.
The Greenville Fire House is at 711 Central Ave., in Scarsdale.
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