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West Michigan Arson Dog Up For National Award

Posted at 8:50 PM, Mar 12, 2014
and last updated 2014-03-12 20:50:47-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., (March 12, 2014)– Less than a year after joining the force, Ritzey, an arson dog at the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, is up for a national award.

The two-year-old Goldador is one of more than 130 dogs nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, which recognizes the animals for their service.

Ritzey, who’s paired with Deputy Dale DeKorte, works to sniff out accelerants at the scene of a fire to detect arson, as well as any residue that may be on the suspect.

If selected to win, prize money will be donated in Ritzey’s honor to the charity “Project Paws Alive”, which provides protective vests to K-9 officers.

Online voting runs through June 6th. To vote for Ritzey, click here.