He was supposed to be trained as a seeing eye dog, there was just one problem: he couldn't turn off his nose. For the past five years, Mako put that nose to work for the Spokane Valley Fire Department as an arson dog. Now, instead of sniffing for accelerants, he's sniffing through retirement.
"When I first came up with the idea and presented it to the department I knew it was going to be a lot of work and I knew it was going to be rewarding," Rick Freier, Mako's handler, said. "I was wrong on the amount, it was a lot more work and a lot more rewarding."
After years working side-by-side day in and day out, Freier is hanging up his treat bag.
"Mako would learn that once I find an accelerant, I get fed," Freier said.
And Mako was fed a lot. Working a total of 187 fires across Eastern Washington and performing hundreds of public demonstrations. Mako's findings made cases against criminals, and found justice for families.
"Every day was different we didn't know what was going to happen and we got to help a lot of people and that's what we're in the business to do," Freier said.
Right now there are no plans to replace Mako. He was brought to the department through a grant Freier won. If they want to replace Mako they'd have to reapply for the grant, and have someone step up to take on the big responsibility.
Frier spent hours a day running drills with Mako, and being the only arson dog the last few years, the duo was always on call. Still, saying goodbye to it all is bittersweet for Freier.
"It's an amazing experience having a partner you go to work with every single day," Freier said. "The unique part about it is, you just form a bond."