Of all of the canine on the Huge Island, it’s doubtless none have been higher recognized than Kaimi.
The state’s first licensed arson canine, Kaimi retired on Dec. 31, 2019, and died Saturday on the dwelling of his handler, Appearing Hearth Chief Robert Perreira. He was 13.
“It’s a tough capsule to swallow, shedding my buddy, my accomplice. He stayed dwelling the final 12 months as a result of he was retired, and after I depart dwelling, he’s making noise, as a result of he is aware of I’m leaving,” Perreira mentioned Thursday.
Kaimi, a Labrador/golden retriever combine, was rescued from a Southern California shelter for an arson K9 coaching program funded by State Farm at Maine Specialty Canines. As a accomplice to Perreira, then a hearth investigator, the canine was licensed on Could 8, 2008, every week after his first birthday.
“We had an awesome profession; we traveled throughout,” Perreira mentioned. “We labored on virtually each island — Maui, Kauai, Honolulu. We didn’t go to Molokai or Lanai, however we helped across the state, and with a whole bunch of fires round our island.”
For a few years, Kaimi was the one arson K9 within the state. He labored the high-profile Marco Polo condominium hearth in Honolulu that killed 4 folks and injured 13 others on July 14, 2017.
“That’s in all probability the most important incident that he labored on,” Perreira mentioned.
Honolulu now has its personal arson canine, Kukui. And, as Kaimi did, Kukui works to detect deliberately lit fires statewide.
One other tragedy that required Kaimi’s providers is the Holualoa hearth on Jan. 29, 2015, that claimed the lives of brothers Dexen Matsuyama, 11, and Kaeden Matsuyama, 6.
“We labored a variety of deadly fires,” Perreira mentioned. “A variety of occasions, it was simply to rule out any foul play. And that was one of many the explanation why we bought him. We seen {that a} excessive share of our fires have been coming again undetermined, however we knew, simply by hunch, that these fires have been truly being set. About 75 to 80% of our fires have been undetermined, however with him within the combine, it introduced that all the way down to underneath 50%.”
Perreira mentioned the preliminary funding made by the insurance coverage large to coach every canine is about $25,000, and about 10 are licensed yearly. Canines endure three to 5 months of intensive coaching earlier than being paired with handlers.
”The (preliminary) five-week course they gave us to fulfill our canine and to get skilled was actually to coach us, to ensure that the handler and the canine may get alongside, to ensure there was a match,” he mentioned. “If there’s no match there, the canine’s not going to be just right for you. You’ve bought to have a bond.
“The primary evening, he slept in my mattress. We have been bonded. He was that sort of canine.”
Not surprisingly, Kaimi turned out to be an awesome member of the family, as nicely.
“He protected our household. He liked to bark; he liked to tell us when there was any individual was round,” Perreira mentioned. “Then, when my daughter and I’d play — wrestle or whatnot — he would bark at me. He thought I used to be hurting her.
“My daughter thought it was humorous. My canine that was presupposed to be my accomplice is definitely defending her.”
Kaimi liked kids and have become a success with them — in addition to a goodwill ambassador for the Hawaii Hearth Division — by way of public appearances at occasions akin to Hearth Prevention Week and making the rounds of the island’s elementary faculties.
“We visited so many faculties,” Perreira mentioned. “Even once we have been on the mainland being re-certified, we visited my nephew’s faculty in Nevada. We reached so many individuals that approach with messages akin to ‘don’t play with hearth.’ We even went to the general public library in Hilo, studying books to children. He liked it.”
Arson canine have to be recertified on a yearly foundation, and Kaimi and Perreira racked up a variety of frequent flier miles to mainland states, together with Texas, Colorado and Florida, to take action. They have been additionally current in Washington, D.C., for the disclosing of the Nationwide Hearth Canine Monument in 2014.
“That was an enormous factor for us, seeing that occur,” Perreira mentioned.
The division doesn’t have an arson canine at current, however Perreira is hopeful there will probably be one other one for an additional handler within the comparatively close to future.
“It’s such a dedication,” he mentioned. “And it was such a dedication for me — giving up my birthday, my spouse’s birthday, Fourth of July, Christmas Day, and going to fires. After which coaching, nights, weekends. And clearly, I used to be compensated for these occasions, but it surely’s time away from your loved ones, time away out of your regular life.”
Perreira mentioned Kaimi’s loss is felt by his household, the division and the opposite arson K9 groups they met of their travels.
“I’ve had different canine earlier than, and also you’ve bought to let ’em go,” he mentioned. “Sometime, it’s going to occur. It occurred shortly. I simply didn’t assume it could be … .”
Perreira’s voice trailed off, and it was obvious that the emotional bond he shared with Kaimi since their first assembly remains to be very a lot alive.
E mail John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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