Mattie - Windsor Locks, CT
Posted by: neoc1
N 41° 56.776 W 072° 41.200
18T E 691751 N 4646398
A monument honoring Mattie, the world's first forensically validated accelerant detection canine, is located in front of the Connecticut Fire Academy, 34 Perimeter Rd, Windsor Locks, CT.
Waymark Code: WMZPP1
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 12/16/2018
Views: 9
A monument honoring Mattie contains a statue of the world's first accelerant detection Labrador retriever set on a granite base in front of a paved plaza honoring Connecticut accelerant detection K9s. The statue was created by sculptor Austin Weishel, a volunteer firefighter and the award winning sculptor of the National Fire Dog Monument in Washington, DC. It was dedicated on July 21, 2018.
On the base is inscribed MATTIE and above the inscription is a bronze plaque with the picture of Mattie and the seal of the Connecticut State Police along with the following inscription:
MATTIE
#9003
ON MAY 1, 1986, THE CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL
BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS AND THE NEW HAVEN COUNTY STATE'S
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ENTERED INTO A COOPERATIVE VENTURE FOR THE CONNECTICUT
STATE POLICE TO TRAIN AND DEPLOY AN ACCELERANT DETECTION CANINE. A ONE YEAR
OLD BLACK LABRADOR RETRIEVER NAMED MATTIE WAS SELECTED. MATTIE WAS DONATED
TO THE PROGRAM BY THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION OF LONG ISLAND, NY.
ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1986, AFTER EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND TESTING, MATTIE WAS OFFICIALLY
CLASSIFIED AS OPERATIONAL, BECOMING THE WORLD'S FIRST FORENSICALLY VALIDATED
ACCELERANT DETECTION CANINE.
IN HER SIX YEAR CAREER, MATTIE ASSISTED AT OVER 400 FIRE INVESTIGATIONS IN
CONNECTICUT AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. HER AMAZING ABILITY TO LOCATE
ACCELERANTS AT FIRE SCENES THAT WERE LABORATORY VERIFIED, CONTRIBUTED
TO NUMEROUS ARREST AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS. BASED UPON HER
SUCCESS, AGENCIES FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY
BEGAN THEIR OWN PROGRAMS.
MATTIE WAS THE TRUE PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF ACCELERANT DETECTION CANINES.
HER HISTORIC CONTRIBUTION WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
The plaza in front of the monument contains the names of subsequent forensically validated accelerant detection canines:
SOLO
LOUISE
MAISE
MUSHIE
VINNY
SHELBY
TREK
KATIE
PANACHE
PRESLEY
VENTURA
LILY
MELINDA
BAXTER
ELWAY
RITZ
CLAUS
BROCADE
SOPHIE
CORA
SPRITE
GLIMMER
Breed: Labrador Retreiver
Date Built: July 21, 2018
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