Death of Kai, West Midlands Fire Service fire investigation dog

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kai, our much-loved fire investigation dog.

Kai was an integral member of our team and, with his handler, Mat Dixon, played a vital role in our fire investigation work.

Our thoughts are very much with Mat at this terribly difficult time.

Kai, a ten-year-old Belgian Malinois, was retired after suddenly going blind overnight in early January. He was nearing the end of his career with us, but his sudden and unexpected sight issues meant he was unable to continue to carry out his work safely.

In February, Mat released this update:

Dear all, the attached image contains an update for you all regarding Kai.
It’s self explanatory, and I hope you’ll understand that I’ll most likely not respond to every message I receive, but, thank you in advance for your kind words and support, and please forgive me 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/mFswDbBQPu

— WMFS Fire Investigation Dog (@WMFireDogs) February 11, 2023

Very sadly, Kai passed away today, 7 March 2023.

Having conducted fire investigations at hundreds of incidents in the West Midlands and elsewhere, Kai’s service to our communities has been vital.

We would ask that Mat’s privacy be respected at this time. Members of the media are requested to contact our Corporate Communications team for any further information.