Noise phobia in pets induces panic and may result in dogs and cats making a choice between “fight or flight”. Some pets can become so fearful and panicked that they bite, including their owner or family members. Other pets may tremble in fear and try to hide in a closet or under furniture. And some dogs and cats may decide to run away to escape the loud noises. In fact, July 5th is the busiest day for animal shelters, many filled to capacity with pets that panicked at the sound of firecrackers. 
 

Make a plan to keep your pet safe and secure during fireworks

As pet owners, we are responsible for keeping our pets safe and healthy. That includes having a plan to make your pet secure during loud celebrations and firework displays. Consider these tips to make the celebrations less stressful for you and your pets:

• Exercise you dog beforehand to help them relax
• Keep them at home and indoors in a quiet room or crate
• Make sure windows and doors are closed and secure
• Turn on a fan, TV, or play soft music to help create white noise
• Make certain that your pets have I.D. tags with up-to-date information
• Provide your pet with their favorite toy or blanket to give them comfort
• Talk to your veterinarian if your dog or cat requires medication to help ease their anxiety

Watch out for potentially dangerous debris on the ground 
 

• Keep sparklers, glow sticks, fireworks, charcoal and kabob skewers away from curious pets.
• Don’t let pets get near your barbecue grill while it is in use or still hot.
• Check your yard for fireworks debris before allowing pets outside to play or relax. Even if you didn’t set off fireworks yourself, debris can make its way into your yard, where curious animals may pick it up to play with or eat.
• If you hosted guests, check both your yard and home for food scraps or other debris that might be dangerous to pets, such as food skewers.

Bonus tip: Protect your dog or cat this summer and beyond

The best way to protect your pet, no matter the season, is to talk to your State Farm^® agent about how a pet medical insurance with Trupanion can help protect your pets, or start your free, no-obligation quote online.

The posts went live March 2 on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Combined, the posts received nearly 107 thousand likes. WeRateDogs has over 11 million combined social media followers.

One of the featured dogs is Tavi, a Canine Companions for Independence^® puppy, sponsored by State Farm. A potential future service dog, Tavi is being raised by State Farm employees Robin and Tony Bird.

Benefits of Pet Medical Insurance

For Illinois State Farm agent Axel Jimenez, talking about pets comes naturally. “My agency is BIG on keeping updated on household members. Asking about pets is a very easy step since we view fur babies as household members. Showing customers that we care about everyone in their family helps with relationship building and pet medical is a great product to offer pet parents.”

Pet medical insurance is an important part of a financial plan to help prepare for unexpected illness or injury. The last thing any pet owner wants to decide is whether they can afford to treat their beloved dog or cat for illness or injury. Medical insurance for pets makes the decision easier, allowing pet owners to focus on care and not cost.

Since 2018, State Farm has offered medical insurance for pets through Trupanion, first piloting the product in six states before expanding to all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2020. Pet owners can sign up for medical insurance by visiting the State Farm website at www.statefarm.com/insurance/pet or by contacting an authorized State Farm agent.

Note: Pet owners in AR, SC, RI, and MA can sign-up for a pet medical policy online only at this time.

Why Pet Medical Insurance Matters

Agent Axel Jimenez shares his own story of the importance of pet medical insurance and how it helped his family and his dog, Archie.

Unlike your puppy, Tavi came with an instruction manual.

Tavi is a Canine Companions for Independence puppy, sponsored by State Farm^®. The Birds were selected by State Farm and Canine Companions to raise Tavi, which means good in Hebrew. A yellow Labrador retriever, Tavi was born in August and has been living with Tony and Robin, and their 12-year-old rescue Bella, for two months.

"With Tavi, the training is formalized," Tony said of the bounding bundle of exploration. "We have goals and a monthly progress report to turn in."

While he is a puppy, and anybody who has raised a puppy knows they get more distracted than a moth at a candle festival, he is in training to be a working dog. As puppy raisers, the Birds are not just giving their home and hearts to Tavi, they are giving their time and resources to support Canine Companions, which has a schedule of milestones for Tavi to reach on his way to becoming a service animal.

"We have a sense of obligation to make sure we follow the prescribed plans they have," Tony said.

Robin said the commands they can use are just one of the differences between raising Tavi and Bella. Instead of telling Tavi "no," for example, they need to use "don't." And Tavi is on a regimented daily schedule because of the high likelihood his future owner will be on one.

"Tavi's daily grooming is another difference," Robin said. "There is teeth brushing, coat brushing, weekly trimming of his nails, and my personal favorite – cradling, aka snuggle time."

"We have never brushed our dog's teeth," Tony said. "So it has created many of the funnier moments. As a squirmy puppy, he often gets toothpaste in his nose and even once on his eyebrows."

"With Bella," Robin said, "we can take her to the groomer for all of these things."

Because Tavi will receive specialized service-animal training in early 2022, he needs to learn the vocabulary the trainers use. The Birds call his name to get his attention, and then follow with the command they are trying to teach.

"So far he is doing very well with: sit, here, down and he knows his name," Robin said. "We are working on wait and don't."

The rest of the puppy-raising world surely can appreciate that.

"We have never done formal training, so all of this is new," Tony said. "We've often adopted dogs past the puppy stage. Bella was 18 months old when we adopted her."

They have learned the importance of treats to the training process, and that regular kibble can be that treat. They have also benefitted from the power of distraction.

"The training methods from Canine Companions are to focus on and reinforce the positive, so if we see him approaching a negative situation, like reaching for the top of a trash can, rather than correction, we use distraction with kibble or a toy," Tony said. "At this point, I have even seen the distractions work on Bella, who is almost 12."

Robin shared that Tavi is being crate trained, while Bella has free roam of their home, but they have seen that Tavi is learning to like his crate and has put himself in it on a few occasions.

It's not been all work and no play. He's a puppy, so there is plenty of play time. Tavi and Bella dressed as Batman and Robin for Halloween, the Birds socialize him whenever they can, and even arrange playdates with other puppy raiser families.

As a future service dog, it is important that he is comfortable in the car and in new places, so the Birds take him everywhere. He's been to the vet, their State Farm agent's office and to shop. He's also had regular visitors through a steady stream of friends to the house.

"It's been a highlight and surprise, just how quick he is. Still only three months old, he's energetic, and not proficient at any of these, but the fact that he has the basics for his name, sit, down and here, he's well ahead of what I expected," Tony said. "There is a lot of work to do to make sure what he's learned sticks and that he continues to advance, but so far, he's doing really well and it's been a lot of fun."

Unlike your puppy, Tavi came with an instruction manual.

Tavi is a Canine Companions for Independence puppy, sponsored by State Farm^®. The Birds were selected by State Farm and Canine Companions to raise Tavi, which means good in Hebrew. A yellow Labrador retriever, Tavi was born in August and has been living with Tony and Robin, and their 12-year-old rescue Bella, for two months.

"With Tavi, the training is formalized," Tony said of the bounding bundle of exploration. "We have goals and a monthly progress report to turn in."

While he is a puppy, and anybody who has raised a puppy knows they get more distracted than a moth at a candle festival, he is in training to be a working dog. As puppy raisers, the Birds are not just giving their home and hearts to Tavi, they are giving their time and resources to support Canine Companions, which has a schedule of milestones for Tavi to reach on his way to becoming a service animal.

"We have a sense of obligation to make sure we follow the prescribed plans they have," Tony said.

Robin said the commands they can use are just one of the differences between raising Tavi and Bella. Instead of telling Tavi "no," for example, they need to use "don't." And Tavi is on a regimented daily schedule because of the high likelihood his future owner will be on one.

"Tavi's daily grooming is another difference," Robin said. "There is teeth brushing, coat brushing, weekly trimming of his nails, and my personal favorite – cradling, aka snuggle time."

"We have never brushed our dog's teeth," Tony said. "So it has created many of the funnier moments. As a squirmy puppy, he often gets toothpaste in his nose and even once on his eyebrows."

"With Bella," Robin said, "we can take her to the groomer for all of these things."

Because Tavi will receive specialized service-animal training in early 2022, he needs to learn the vocabulary the trainers use. The Birds call his name to get his attention, and then follow with the command they are trying to teach.

"So far he is doing very well with: sit, here, down and he knows his name," Robin said. "We are working on wait and don't."

The rest of the puppy-raising world surely can appreciate that.

"We have never done formal training, so all of this is new," Tony said. "We've often adopted dogs past the puppy stage. Bella was 18 months old when we adopted her."

They have learned the importance of treats to the training process, and that regular kibble can be that treat. They have also benefitted from the power of distraction.

"The training methods from Canine Companions are to focus on and reinforce the positive, so if we see him approaching a negative situation, like reaching for the top of a trash can, rather than correction, we use distraction with kibble or a toy," Tony said. "At this point, I have even seen the distractions work on Bella, who is almost 12."

Robin shared that Tavi is being crate trained, while Bella has free roam of their home, but they have seen that Tavi is learning to like his crate and has put himself in it on a few occasions.

It's not been all work and no play. He's a puppy, so there is plenty of play time. Tavi and Bella dressed as Batman and Robin for Halloween, the Birds socialize him whenever they can, and even arrange playdates with other puppy raiser families.

As a future service dog, it is important that he is comfortable in the car and in new places, so the Birds take him everywhere. He's been to the vet, their State Farm agent's office and to shop. He's also had regular visitors through a steady stream of friends to the house.

"It's been a highlight and surprise, just how quick he is. Still only three months old, he's energetic, and not proficient at any of these, but the fact that he has the basics for his name, sit, down and here, he's well ahead of what I expected," Tony said. "There is a lot of work to do to make sure what he's learned sticks and that he continues to advance, but so far, he's doing really well and it's been a lot of fun."

2020 has been a record high for adoptions. It’s also been a record low for surrendered and abandoned dogs. All in all, a bang up year for man’s best friend.

Demand was so high for dog and cat companionship, many shelters at one point had waiting lists! But it wasn't alwasy so.

To Me, You Are Perfect

A white and tan pit bull, Dash was one of the longest residents of the Maricopa County Shelter in Arizona. Older pit bulls are often shelter veterans, as many adopters are looking for small dogs and puppies.

Molly Romine, a State Farm® HR employee and shelter volunteer, knew Dash would be a great addition to someone’s home. Molly and other volunteers organized the 12 Dogs of Christmas adoption push which included Dash in Dec. 2018.

The shelter’s 12 longest-term residents were all pit bulls ranging in age from two to 10. The team spruced up their kennels with eye-catching decor, gave the pups holiday make-overs, and shared social media posts to gain attention. The shelter also offered stockings full of donated leashes, collars, and free training sessions.

“I worked a couple of hours a night to get these dogs a home for the holidays,” shared Molly. “It was a lot of hard work but it was worth it to see Dash and all the other dogs adopted just before New Year’s Eve!”

Helping local shelters during Covid

Volunteering has been difficult during Covid due to social distancing and other safety measures. But there are other ways to give back. Owner surrendered and abandoned pet numbers are starting to creep back up. There are plenty of pets available for adoption at your local shelter.

“If you’re not sure adoption is for you, consider fostering! It’s a short term commitment with long term impacts,” Molly recommended. “If you foster a pet, you are giving that animal a much needed respite from the stressful shelter environment. You can also provide the shelter with helpful intel. Maybe the dog is great with kids but scared of car rides. This can really help match the pup with the right family.”

Is your home feeling a bit empty due to covid? Reach out to your local shelter to see if you can fill it with dogs or cats for a long “howliday” weekend of fostering and cuddles.

Join the conversation on Yammer!

After this year, we can all use a silver lining. Odds are you, or someone you know, have adopted a new pet this year.

2020 has been a record high for adoptions. It’s also been a record low for surrendered and abandoned dogs. All in all, a bang up year for man’s best friend.

Demand was so high for dog and cat companionship, many shelters at one point had waiting lists! But it wasn't alwasy so.

To Me, You Are Perfect

A white and tan pit bull, Dash was one of the longest residents of the Maricopa County Shelter in Arizona. Older pit bulls are often shelter veterans, as many adopters are looking for small dogs and puppies.

Molly Romine, a State Farm® HR employee and shelter volunteer, knew Dash would be a great addition to someone’s home. Molly and other volunteers organized the 12 Dogs of Christmas adoption push which included Dash in Dec. 2018.

The shelter’s 12 longest-term residents were all pit bulls ranging in age from two to 10. The team spruced up their kennels with eye-catching decor, gave the pups holiday make-overs, and shared social media posts to gain attention. The shelter also offered stockings full of donated leashes, collars, and free training sessions.

“I worked a couple of hours a night to get these dogs a home for the holidays,” shared Molly. “It was a lot of hard work but it was worth it to see Dash and all the other dogs adopted just before New Year’s Eve!”

Helping local shelters during Covid

Volunteering has been difficult during Covid due to social distancing and other safety measures. But there are other ways to give back. Owner surrendered and abandoned pet numbers are starting to creep back up. There are plenty of pets available for adoption at your local shelter.

“If you’re not sure adoption is for you, consider fostering! It’s a short term commitment with long term impacts,” Molly recommended. “If you foster a pet, you are giving that animal a much needed respite from the stressful shelter environment. You can also provide the shelter with helpful intel. Maybe the dog is great with kids but scared of car rides. This can really help match the pup with the right family.”

Is your home feeling a bit empty due to covid? Reach out to your local shelter to see if you can fill it with dogs or cats for a long “howliday” weekend of fostering and cuddles.

Join the conversation on Yammer!

Raising a puppy isn’t easy. They may be cute, but they require lots of attention and are a big responsibility. Imagine putting in the love and commitment to raising a puppy only to give it up 18 months later. State Farm employees Robin and Tony Bird are doing just that…and they couldn’t be happier.

For thousands of people with disabilities, a service dog allows them to live life independently. State Farm is excited to sponsor a service dog through Canine Companions for Independence. The non-profit organization provides professionally trained assistance dogs at no charge. Service animals are highly trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Since 1975, Canine Companions has placed over 6,600 service dogs.

“We’re very happy about our partnership with State Farm and believe it is the perfect opportunity to engage employees around a positive, ‘good neighbor’ cause that can make a transformational difference in the lives of children, adults and veterans with disabilities,” said Bryan Harding from Canine Companions.

The sponsorship is also providing a unique volunteer opportunity for Robin and Tony. They volunteered and were selected to raise the Canine Companions puppy, sponsored by State Farm.

“We had been looking for some ways to give back, and animal charities are one place where we often gravitate,” said Robin. “With 34 combined years with State Farm, Tony and I are aware of the many ways State Farm gives back. This is such a unique way to give back to the community in a personal and highly impactful way. We couldn't be happier to be selected as puppy raisers.”

A Good Boy

State Farm employees were presented with the chance to name the puppy and while “Jake” may have seemed like a logical name, the puppy wasn’t born in a “J” litter. To help track the hundreds of puppies born into the program, each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet. The State Farm puppy was born in the “T” litter so the name needed to be short and begin with the same letter.

Tex. Tip. Toast. All are fun and cute names, but this puppy was going to grow up to do good things. It needed a good name because it was part of the Good Neighbor family.

Meet Tavi.

In Hebrew, tavi means “good” and it couldn’t be a better name for him. Tavi is a male Labrador retriever/golden retriever cross and since he is yellow, he is already wearing khakis! Born on Aug. 17, Tavi will leave the nest and meet the Birds in mid-October 2020.

In his first 18 months, the Birds will help Tavi learn basic obedience, social skills and manners. After that, he will move on to professional training with Canine Companions staff where he will learn advanced commands like turning on and off lights and picking up dropped items.

Giving a Dog a Job

It is expensive to breed, raise and train each Canine Companions assistance dog. Volunteers and donations are necessary in order to continue providing assistance dogs at no cost to recipients.

Each year, Canine Companions for Independence hosts DogFest. The dog-friendly event celebrates the human-animal bond and raises money for a great cause. Like most events this year, DogFest has gone virtual. While there will be less fur, the fun won’t stop!

Join other pet lovers for DogFest Texas on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11:00 a.m to noon, CDT and help give a dog a job. There are a variety of ways to participate:

• Register and fundraise to support a great cause. Registration is FREE. All funds go toward training assistance dogs for people in need. You can even form a team to help Canine Companions raise funds!
• Participate in fun activities on the DogFest Texas Facebook event page. You can even share how your dog brings you joy with this downloadable sign.
• Make a donation! Your generous support helps give the gift of freedom to people with disabilities. All donations made to Canine Companions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Arson dogs are trained to work with a human handler and find evidence at fire scenes. The dogs are searching for accelerants such as gas, oil or fuel used to start fires. State Farm is the only company in North America that provides funding for the training of arson dog teams.

The State Farm Arson Dog Program is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States. Since its beginning in 1993, the program has placed more than 425 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia.

Arson is one of the most difficult crimes to solve, as the evidence literally burns up. Insurance fraud causes billions of dollars in damage each year. In fact, many police and fire departments are seeing an increase in suspicious fires because of business closures, financial challenges and social disruption.

"Fire investigators should have every tool possible to combat this deadly crime," said Heather Paul, State Farm Arson Dog Program Coordinator. “These dogs help fire investigators to do their job. Arson dog teams can quickly locate evidence of accelerants such as gasoline or fuel used to start a fire.”

Meeting and training with a new best friend

All of the dogs are Labrador retrievers and come from animal rescues or disability assistance programs. The dogs are trained months before they meet their human handler and must work for every meal. When the dog smells fuel, they sit down and point with their nose. Their “reward” is a handful of dog food and praise. They can locate accelerants quickly, even if it is buried under debris.

Canine handlers are police detectives or fire investigators. The training class is four weeks long and the handlers know it will be intense. Over the four weeks, the handler and dog will repeat training drills multiple times a day. Food reward dogs only eat from the hand of their handler so these training drills will be repeated multiple times a day for the life until the dog retires.

Following a month of classes and drills, the arson dog teams are tested and certified by the Maine State Police. Once certified, the teams travel back to their communities to begin investigating fires. The dogs live in the home of their handler and they retire in the home of their handler. For the men and women training in the program, working with a dog is a career highlight.

Congratulations to the newly certified teams in Class No. 52!

1. Fire Chief Billy Dillon & K-9 Piper - Howe Springs Fire Rescue (Florence, SC)
2. Special Agent Michael Kuban & K-9 Phantom - Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (Springfield, IL)
3. Special Agent Kenny Arnold & K-9 Gunny - Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (Springfield, IL)
4. Special Agent Jeff Pride and K-9 PJ - Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (Springfield, IL)
5. Captain Stephanie Schofield & K-9 Jennifer - Rawlins Fire Department (Rawlins, WY)
6. Fire Inspector John Neeb & K-9 Mika - West Fargo Fire Department (West Fargo, ND)
7. Fire Investigator Thomas Cantola & K-9 Maya - Girard Fire Department (Girard, OH)
8. Fire Investigator Brian Acors & K-9 Erny - Richmond Fire Department (Richmond, VA)
9. Arson Investigator Darren Jurado & K-9 Brownie - Compton Fire Department (Compton, CA)
10. Fire Investigator Lee Maness & K-9 Vinny - Cobb County Fire and EMS (Marietta, GA)
11. Detective Michael Douglas K-9 Ruthie - State of Florida, Division of Investigative & Forensic Services (Tampa, FL)
12. Detective Cody McIntyre & K-9 Rico - State of Florida, Division of Investigative & Forensic Services (Tallahassee, FL)
13. Firefighter Brent Autry & K-9 Tony - Milan Fire Department (Milan, TN)
14. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Kanavy & K-9 Mikey - Scott County Fire Department (Georgetown, KY)

Arson Dog Calendar

Each of this year's class of K-9 crime-fighters is featured on one of the calendar pages below. Click to download.

In the News:

• West Fargo Pioneer: Fire corner: Welcoming Mika to the team (09/30/20)

For thousands of people with disabilities, a service dog allows them to live life independently. State Farm is excited to sponsor a service dog through Canine Companions for Independence. The non-profit organization provides professionally trained assistance dogs at no charge. Service animals are highly trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Since 1975, Canine Companions has placed over 6,600 service dogs.

“We’re very happy about our partnership with State Farm and believe it is the perfect opportunity to engage employees around a positive, ‘good neighbor’ cause that can make a transformational difference in the lives of children, adults and veterans with disabilities,” says Bryan Harding from Canine Companions.

The sponsorship is also providing a unique volunteer opportunity for Robin and Tony. They volunteered and were selected to raise the Canine Companions puppy, sponsored by State Farm.

“We had been looking for some ways to give back, and animal charities are one place where we often gravitate,” said Robin. “With 34 combined years with State Farm, Tony and I are aware of the many ways State Farm gives back. This is such a unique way to give back to the community in a personal and highly impactful way. We couldn't be happier to be selected as puppy raisers.”

A Good Boy

State Farm employees were presented with the chance to name the puppy and while “Jake” may have seemed like a logical name, the puppy wasn’t born in a “J” litter. To help track the hundreds of puppies born into the program, each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet. The State Farm puppy was born in the “T” litter so the name needed to be short and begin with the same letter.

Tex. Tip. Toast. All are fun and cute names, but this puppy was going to grow up to do good things. It needed a good name because it was part of the Good Neighbor family.

Meet Tavi.

In Hebrew, tavi means “good” and it couldn’t be a better name for him. Tavi is a male Labrador retriever/golden retriever cross and since he is yellow, he is already wearing khakis! Born on August 17, Tavi will leave the nest and meet the Birds in mid-October 2020.

In his first 18 months, the Birds will help Tavi learn basic obedience, social skills and manners. After that, he will move on to professional training with Canine Companions staff where he will learn advanced commands like turning on and off lights and picking up dropped items.

Giving a Dog a Job

It is expensive to breed, raise and train each Canine Companions assistance dog. Volunteers and donations are necessary in order to continue providing assistance dogs at no cost to recipients.

Each year, Canine Companions for Independence hosts DogFest. The dog-friendly event celebrates the human-animal bond and raises money for a great cause. Like most events this year, DogFest has gone virtual. While there will be less fur, the fun won’t stop!

Join other pet lovers for DogFest Texas on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11:00 a.m to noon, CDT and help give a dog a job. There are a variety of ways to participate:

• Register and fundraise to support a great cause. Registration is FREE. All funds go toward training assistance dogs for people in need. You can even form a team to help Canine Companions raise funds!
• Participate in fun activities on the DogFest Texas Facebook event page. You can even share how your dog brings you joy with this downloadable sign.
• Make a donation! Your generous support helps give the gift of freedom to people with disabilities. All donations made to Canine Companions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Arson K9 Kaimi is one of those dogs. K9 Kaimi is the first and oldest serving arson dog in Hawaii. Abandoned at a California shelter when he was seven months old, things didn’t look good for the young yellow Lab. Most pet adopters are looking for a calm pet or lap dog, not a dog with an energy level that doesn’t stop. Thankfully a shelter worker took notice of his enthusiasm and work drive. They contacted a local fire investigator, who reached out to trainers with the State Farm® Arson Dog Program.

In April 2008, K9 Kaimi met and trained with his new human partner, Assistant Fire Chief Robert (Bobby) Perreira. After five weeks of training, they became a certified team for the county and state. Since then, K9 Kaimi has worked hundreds of fires across the Hawaiian Islands, finding evidence that helps local police and fire departments during arson investigations.

Assistant Fire Chief Robert Perreira and K9 Kaimi will be at the Petco store in Hilo, Hawaii, on Oct. 12 for the Petco Foundation Meet a Helping Hero campaign. It will be one of his last public events. K9 Kaimi will retire from service in December 2019 after serving the residents of Hawaii for 11 ½ years. Nearly 13 years old, K9 Kaimi may be a little slower, but his nose is still sharp.

State Farm will have 47 arson dogs and handlers at Petco stores as part of the Meet a Helping Hero campaign. The campaign highlights how working animals transform lives by providing comfort, support, and assistance. The campaign also raises money to support animal shelters, rescues, and working dog organizations.

The Petco Foundation has provided over $60,000 in grants to police and fire department with certified arson dog teams. These grants help with expenses related to care, maintenance, and annual recertification of dogs like K9 Kaimi.

Therapy, service, and working animals will be at Petco stores on Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. local time. Visit the Petco Foundation Meet a Helping Hero website to find participating stores.

As the nation’s largest homeowners’ insurer, State Farm is well aware of the severity and impact of arson on businesses and public safety. That is why State Farm funds the acquisition and training of accelerant detection canine teams. Commonly called arson dogs, more than 400 teams have been created since 1993. The teams conduct fire investigation in 45 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia. Outside of state or federal agencies, no other company in North America provides arson dog program funding.

An arson dog is one trained to detect and locate trace amounts of ignitable liquids. Things like gasoline, turpentine, and other flammable solvents are used to start fires. The use of arson dogs significantly aids law enforcement and fire investigation. Arson dogs save time and money by pinpointing sample collection locations.

Labrador retrievers are the arson dog breed of choice. Their curiosity, high energy, and tracking ability helps them quickly adapt to the training and socialization. Arson dogs are often “career change” or “second career” canines. They come from animal shelters, guide dog or disability programs and animal rescue organizations. Perhaps not suited for a companion or guide dog program, they did have needed skills for another job. In essence, these dogs have a second chance to serve their communities.

Being a dog's human handler is an enormous commitment. Even on days off or during vacations, they still have to train in order to feed their dog. Unlike a typical dog owner, these men and women can’t simply put down a bowl of food. Their canine partners are trained with food rewards. This means the handlers must run training drills multiple times daily to feed their dog and then document this training in detail.

For more information about the State Farm Arson Dog Program, visit www.arsondog.org.

Congratulations to the sixteen new K9 crime-fighting teams! Learn more about each of the teams below.

Captain Robby Simpson and K9 Sonny

Phoenix Fire Department (Phoenix, AZ)

Captain Robby Simpson is a fire investigator and medic with the Phoenix Fire Department. Captain Simpson spent 28 years on a fire truck before becoming a fire investigator and has always dreamed of working with an accelerant detection canine. This is his first canine partner and the fourth team trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program for the City of Phoenix. In fact, the first arson dog team for the Phoenix Fire Department was trained through the program 26 years ago in April 1993.

Investigator Jodie Grisdale and K9 Willow

Calgary Fire Department (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Fire Investigator Jodie Grisdale has been with the Calgary Fire Department for 12 years. She has been a fire investigator for two years. When she joined the Inspection and Investigations department, her dream was to work with an arson dog. In April 2019, her dream came true and she is now certified with K9 Willow. While this is her first canine partner, it is the third team trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program for the City of Calgary.

Inspector Joseph Cox and K9 Camy

St. Lucie County Fire District (Port St. Lucie, FL)

Inspector Joe Cox is a Fire Investigator/Inspector with the St. Lucie County Fire District in southern Florida. He has worked for the Lucie County Fire District for 22 years and spent the past four years investigating for the St. Lucie County Fire Marshal's Office. Prior to entering the Fire Marshal's Office, Cox was a Firefighter and Paramedic. This is his first canine partner and the first for the department.

Investigator Matt Huffman and K9 Shay-Ley

Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office (Jacksonville, FL)

Investigator Matt Huffman has been a Detective/ Fire Investigator with the State of Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives Investigations Division for a little over two years. He is currently assigned to the Jacksonville office but covers numerous counties in northeast Florida. Investigator Huffman retired from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 2016 after 25 years of service. This may be his first canine partner, but he joins five other certified teams with the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office that are trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. Since 1998, 23 teams have been trained for the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office through the State Farm Arson Dog Program.

Investigator Bobby Joe Brown and K9 Sasha

Illinois State Fire Marshal (Springfield, IL)

Arson Investigator Bobby Joe Brown is with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. He began his fire service career in 1991 as a volunteer firefighter before being hired full-time in 1995. He was promoted to Fire Captain/Paramedic and continued that role until 2004 before becoming Fire Chief of the Beardstown department. In 2008 he left the department to become a fire investigator. This is his first canine partner. Bobby Joe and K9 Sasha join seven certified teams actively investigating fires for the State of Illinois who were trained through the State Farm Arson Dog program. Since 1993, 22 teams have been trained for the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office through the State Farm Arson Dog Program.

Special Agent Greg Vespa and K9 Ross 

Illinois State Fire Marshal (Springfield, IL)

Special Agent Greg Vespa is with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, covering the Greater Metro East area of Southern Illinois, more commonly known as the East St. Louis area.

Most of Greg’s career has been in Law Enforcement, with some volunteer fire service and full time paramedic service in there as well. He joined the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office in 2006 and during his time as a special agent, has worked three other accelerant canines. K9 Ross is his fourth partner. Greg and K9 Ross join seven certified teams actively investigating fires for the State of Illinois who were trained through the State Farm Arson Dog program. Since 1993, 22 teams have been trained for the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office through the State Farm Arson Dog Program.

Search and Rescue Program Manager Lillian Hardy and K9 Misty

Indiana Department of Homeland Security (Indianapolis, IN)

Lillian Hardy has been involved in search and rescue since 1981. She started as a volunteer working with Civil Air Patrol in California and has served as a Los Angeles Chapter Disaster Assistance team member of American Red Cross; director and founding member of Illinois Search and Rescue, member of Midwest Search dogs in Indiana and has served as a regional representative for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) and has worked as an EMT/Paramedic. Since 1993, Lillian has been a certified master canine trainer through National K9 training center and since June 2004, Lillian has been the Search and Rescue Program Manager for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. This is her first accelerant detection canine partner and she will have the entire state of Indiana as her territory.

Operator Ryan Percle and K9 Dakota 

New Orleans Fire Department (New Orleans, LA)

Operator Ryan Percle is a fire truck engineer with the New Orleans Fire Department and has been with the department for 21 years. While this is his first arson canine partner, his dog is a veteran. Ryan and his family took in K9 Dakota after her previous handler was unable to continue the program several years ago. K9 Dakota was trained through the State Farm Arson Dog program in 2015 and then again in 2019.

Captain Justin Shea and K9 Linus

Prince George’s County Fire/EMS (Lanham, MD)

Captain Justin Shea is with the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department and has been a member of the department for 14 years. He spent the first seven years of his career riding a fire truck and ambulance before joining the Fire Marshal’s Office, where he has investigated fires for the past seven years. This is his first canine partner and they will investigate fires east of Washington, DC.

Lieutenant Craig Matthews and K9 Sowell 

Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (Marriottsville, MD)

Lt. Craig Matthews has been with Howard County Fire and Rescue for 18 years. This is his first canine partner and the fourth team for Howard County trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. Lt. Matthews and K9 Sowell are replacing the current canine team in Howard County, Lt. Carlton Saunders and K9 Jet., who will retire at the end of 2019. Their investigation territory includes Columbia and Baltimore City in Maryland.

Investigator Solomon Rosman and K9 Reeves

New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office (Concord, NH)

Investigator Sol Rosman is with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office and has a lengthy career as an EMT, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, and fire investigator. Rosman began his career as a first responder while at college when he became an EMT. He spent several years as an EMT before moving to New Hampshire and becoming a paramedic. He also became a part-time police officer and worked for a few small towns before attending the police academy. Prior to joining the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office three and a half years ago, Rosman was a firefighter and paramedic for eight years. This is his first canine partner and the 9th canine team for NH SFMO. In fact, the NH SFMO has been in the program since the very first training class in February 1993.

Detective Michael Burns and K9 Dodger 

City of Pittsburgh Police Department (Pittsburgh, PA)

Detective Mike Burns has been an officer with the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police since 1993. He was assigned to the Fire Investigation Unit in 2000 and has been with the department Bomb Squad for the last 12 years. This is his first canine partner and they will be investigating fire scenes in and around the city of Pittsburgh.

Arson Investigator Peter Sword and K9 Wizard 

Providence Fire Department (Providence, RI)

Arson Investigator Peter Sword is with the City of Providence Fire Department in Rhode Island. He has been a member of the department for 27 years, spending most of that time on engine companies with a two year stint on rescue in between. He transferred to the fire investigation unit five years ago before being promoted to Arson Investigator. This will be his first canine partner and he will replace the retired team of Sean Reddy and K9 Tyler, also trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program.

Lieutenant John Perry and K9 Sam 

Burton Fire District (Beaufort, SC)

Lt. John Perry is a fifth-generation firefighter who has worked as both a volunteer and career firefighter in his 30-year career. He is currently assigned as a Lieutenant on the busiest engine company in the Burton Fire District. Lt. Perry has spent the last 15 as a fire investigator and the past four years as a handler for Arson K9 Abby, who retired in April 2019. K9 Sam will replace K9 Abby investigating fires in the Bluffton, Beaufort, and Hilton Head areas in South Carolina.

Investigator Ashley Bowen and K9 Liberty 

South Padre Island Fire Department (South Padre Island, TX)

Investigator Ashley Bowen has been in the fire service for seven years, and with the South Padre Island Fire Department for four years. She has been a fire investigator for a little over a year now and was recently promoted to fire inspector. This is her first canine partner and the first for the department. Ashley and Liberty have a very large territory of more than 15 counties in southern Texas, extending from Brownsville to Corpus Christi.

Assistant Fire Marshal Chris Persons and K9 Pyper 

Hampton Fire Marshal’s Office (Hampton, VA)

Assistant Fire Marshal Chris Persons is with the Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue located in Virginia. He began his career in the fire service as a volunteer prior to becoming a career firefighter. He has been a firefighter for the past six years and this is his first canine partner. Chris and K9 Pyper have big shoes to fill. They are replacing Jesse Gomes and K9 Taylor, who have been investigating fires in the Hampton/Newport News area in Virginia since completing their training in the State Farm Arson Dog Program in 2008. This is also the 4^th team trained for the Hampton Fire Department through the program. The first team was trained in 1998.

LISTEN NOW to Megan Blake and Super Smiley’s Canine Assist Team Update