If you love someone, let them go. That was the heartbreaking sentiment guiding Tim Garrett as he handed over the leash of firefighting labrador Sheba to her new family, officially starting her first day of retirement.
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Eight-year-old Sheba spent her working life as an accelerant detection dog. Mr Garrett, canine handler with Fire Rescue NSW, spent three years with Sheba, travelling the state investigating suspicious fires.
Sheba and Mr Garrett worked many high-profile arson cases - including the death of Corrimal lawyer Katie Foreman in 2011.
On Tuesday, Mr Garrett took Sheba on their last road trip to Kiama, delivering her to her new home with the Eastment family.
"It's a sad day. She's been a big part of my life for years," Mr Garrett said.
"This is our last road trip."
Though still energetic and playful, Sheba's age meant she was coming to the end of her working life.
"We want the dogs to finish their work life while they're young and happy, not run them into the ground," Mr Garrett said.
Her new family still has links to her past. Peter Eastment is station officer at Wollongong fire station, and jumped at the chance to adopt a furry friend and former colleague.
"I worked with Sheba a few times at suspicious fires," Mr Eastment said. "I saw an application of interest for her as a retirement dog, so we applied. The family is rapt."
