The female labrador which helped Mumbai's Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad in solving various puzzles during the probe into the Ghatkopar blast and the successive blast died due to kidney ailments, police said.

The dog, Heena, died hours before all the accused were acquitted by a special court.

About Heena, a police officer said she was trained differently from other sniffer dogs. "While other dogs bark when explosives are found, Heena used to shit," the officer said and recalled the good work done by her.

• 'I had faith in the judiciary'

"She helped us solving the Ghatkopar blast and worked very well in the following months helping us seize explosives from a bus at SEEPZ," the officer said.

He said the dog died due to kidney ailments and passed away on the morning of June 11, a few hours before the order was passed.

The dog had served in the squad for eight years and had been admitted to animal hospital at Parel for treatment last month.