A fire dog who helped investigators track down what can’t be seen is now stepping away from the job.

The Reno Fire Department said its arson K9, Boston, is retiring after five years of service working alongside his handler, fire investigator Capt. Sean O’Brien.

Boston joined the department in June 2021 after completing a 200-hour training course with Maine Specialty Dogs.

“We’re very fortunate to have Boston as part of the Reno Fire Department team for the past five years,” said Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran. “He has been instrumental in helping us with fire investigations, and we are thankful for his hard work. Beyond that, his friendly and loving personality has made him an unofficial therapy dog, bringing lots of smiles to our team and others at City Hall.”

Boston is trained as an ignitable liquid detection dog, meaning he can locate accelerants like gasoline and kerosene during fire investigations. The department said he is the city’s first dog trained for that role.

At the time of his service, Boston was one of two dogs in Nevada trained by Maine Specialty Dogs, with the other based in the Las Vegas area.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for the City as we celebrate the well-deserved retirement of Boston,” said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. “I am proud of his dedication and service and wish him all the treats and relaxation in this next chapter.”

Over the course of his career, Boston completed more than 700 hours of training and assisted in more than 50 fire investigations. He also took part in more than 50 community events and demonstrations.

The department said Boston, an English black lab born Aug. 19, 2019, was fed by hand during training and consumed about 5,500 cups of food throughout his career.

In retirement, Boston is expected to spend more time resting, enjoying treats, and staying close to O’Brien.