ICYMI: Florida Arson Dog Sniffing Way Toward National Honor

CLEARWATER, FL — Clearwater Assistant Fire Marshal Ron Neuberger wasn’t so sure he wanted a dog when his wife and 9-year-old daughter talked him into checking out a Labrador-mix puppy at a shelter a few years back.

“I was done as soon as I saw him,” Neuberger admitted about his first encounter with Quincy during a quick stop on his way home from work.

That was more than eight years and 100 arrests ago.

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Quincy was about 6 months old at the time, adopted by the Neuberger family from Pet Pal Animal Shelter in St. Petersburg. While Neuberger admits he “fell in love with him” on day one, it didn’t take the fire investigator long to realize there was more to Quincy than met the eye. The energetic puppy, it seems, had an uncanny ability to track, and “his nose was always in the air sniffing and smelling. He just had something about him.”

Neuberger quickly came to the conclusion Quincy would make a good accelerant- detecting dog. Since Pinellas County fire departments had been without such a specially trained dog for about two years at the time, Neuberger and Quincy went through training together. When Neuberger moved to Clearwater Fire & Rescue, Quincy came along with him. Since then, the two have been working fire scenes throughout the Tampa Bay area. They’ve worked on cases in Pinellas, Manatee, Polk, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, among others, Neuberger said.

Quincy’s keen ability to sniff out petroleum-based accelerants hasn't just made him a bit of a celebrity on fire scenes across the region: It’s also resulted in many closed cases and dozens of arrests.

“He’s put over 100 people in jail,” Neuberger said. “He helps us with our investigation and cuts our investigation (time) in half.”

Vote for Quincy in the Hero Dog Awards

Quincy’s extraordinary ability to sniff out accelerants has also earned him recognition in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards. He’s one of the contestants in this year’s campaign that is meant to recognize “heroes on both ends of the leash,” according to the awards' website. Contestants in this year's program come from all over the country.

To narrow the field, online voting is being conducted through May 3. Once the voting closes, eight “four-legged finalists and their two-legged companions will be flown to Hollywood for an awards show to be telecast live in the fall on the Hallmark Channel,” Clearwater Fire & Rescue wrote in a Thursday statement announcing Quincy’s entry.

The annual hero dog awards program is a campaign of American Humane, an organization that has been dedicated to “promoting the welfare and safety of animals and strengthening the bond between animals and people” for more than 100 years.

As Quincy enjoys his time in the spotlight, he’s also preparing for retirement by training his replacement, Pyro. Neuberger said Quincy is scheduled to retire later this summer with Pyro taking over in the field. The border collie/blue tick mix pup is learning quickly under Quincy’s watchful eye – and nose — Neuberger said. The pup has also joined Quincy and the rest of the Neuberger family’s pack at their home.

Quincy, however, very much remains the alpha.

“(We) have four other dogs in the house, and everybody knows who’s king,” Neuberger said. Quincy is even taking the time to instruct Pyro “as to where his place is in the pecking order.”

In addition to sniffing out accelerants at fire scenes, Quincy is also a regular at school-based fire safety programs. Neuberger reports his four-legged partner loves the attention the kids give him.

“The kids love all over him” Neuberger said. “Nothing bothers him.”

As for why folks should vote for Quincy, Neuberger had this to say:

“He is amazing in what he does.”

To vote for Quincy, visit the Hero Dog Awards online.

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Photos courtesy of Clearwater Fire & Rescue