Fire crew loses dog

Cloquet Area Fire District firefighters lost more than an arson detection dog when K-9 Wish was euthanized Monday, they lost a friend.

A mix of golden retriever and Labrador, Wish had been with the fire district and her handler, Jason Maki, for nine years. She and Maki were certified on May 9, 2013, and she served enthusiastically - nosing out arson cases - until recently, when her health began to fail unexpectedly. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer and died Monday, exactly nine years from her certification date.

CAFD chief Jesse Buhs said Wish and Maki were a great team and spoke of the "commitment and emotional connection" between the two, noting that she was a loyal family dog when she wasn't working.

Wish will be missed by others too. A fire district Facebook post noted that when Wish wasn't working active fire scenes, she was a huge part in the community. "Wish loved going into the local schools as a part of fire prevention and life safety discussions with the kids."

Wish worked more than 150 fire scenes in Minnesota and Wisconsin with Maki, a fire/arson investigator. Wish was trained to find accelerants - such as gas cans or rags with gas on them - at a fire scene. Her skills led to numerous arrests and convictions for arson.

Maki and Wish were the only State Farm arson team in Minnesota. The insurance company program provides funding and resources to law enforcement and fire investigators to train with arson dogs and help combat arson crimes.

"Wish was surrounded by the Maki family, her CAFD family, Cloquet PD, Fond Du Lac PD, and the Carlton County Sheriff's Office for her final send-off," according to the CAFD post.

Wish and Maki replaced the previous arson detection team of Gordy Meagher and K-9 Nick, who served the department 2001-2010.