AUBURN, Mass. - He’s a four-legged friend who’s helping make a difference in the wake of tragedy. 

Auburn Fire and Rescue’s  K-9 Riggs is trained to sniff out human tissue, blood, and bone. 

He’s been working alongside his handler Auburn Firefighter Matthew Ethier for about a year and a half after the department got him through a donation. In that time, Riggs and Ethier have helped dive teams find two drowning victims in Central Massachusetts. 

“Riggs can indicate within 30, 40 feet of the body, and the divers only have to search a certain area instead of searching a whole body of water, which can take days," said Ethier. 

Days which can be tough on the families of victims. 

“It cuts down on the wait time for the family. There's a tremendous amount of relief that comes. The quicker that we can bring a resolution to some type of an incident and Riggs allows us to do that effectively," said Fire Chief Stephen Coleman. 

“It's an unfortunate situation, but we're also bringing closure to the families," said Ethier. 

Chief Coleman says Riggs can also help prevent tragedy. 

“Many of the lakes and ponds that we respond to here in District Seven, they're very deep. They're very weedy. Every time we put a diver in the water, there's the potential for something bad to happen,” Coleman said.

Riggs is also trained to help find fire victims. But he’s more than just a resource, he's Ethier’s best friend at work and at home. It was Either’s idea for the department to get a dog. 

“A long-time dream I'd have to say. He's my buddy. My wife thinks I love him more than I love her," said Ethier. 

Ethier says Auburn is the only department in the state with a dog like Riggs. The two are hoping to get their national certification for finding human remains this summer.