rescue dogs
We’ve all grown up with at least one hero in our lives, but how many people can call their hero Duke or Spot? The answer: anyone whose life has been saved by a rescue dog.
Whether it’s a house fire, tornado debris, earthquake debris, or flowing water behind a hurricane front, these specially trained rescue dogs swoop in without concern for their own well-being, pulling out victims, some dead and others still alive. They do this over and over again.
With a powerful snout and the ability to smell things a human cannot, rescue dogs are hard-working and loyal enough to do what is expected of them. And what do they ask in return? A hug, a treat or a one-on-one game time. It’s not much of a reward, but for these special dogs, it’s very satisfying.
There are different types of breeds that are better rescue dogs than others. For example, bloodhounds have a talent for dexterity and are known for spotting criminals. Newfound Lands make good avalanche rescue dogs and Labrador Retrievers make good cadaver dogs. Any dog can become a rescue dog as long as he can focus on scent tracking, such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Golden Retrievers.
Before being allowed to track, each rescue dog undergoes extensive evaluations. Scent detection training is then started and their skills are developed through regular sessions. To track, the dog will pick up the scent of the person’s skin cells shedding from the body. These skin cells float in the air and hit the ground when a person moves, and float to the surface of the water if the victim has drowned.
The men and women behind these furry heroes are all volunteers who are fit, enjoy spending time outdoors, and take pride in training and communicating with their rescue dogs. These men and women may also belong to rescue teams such as SOSARD or SWOSAR, who are called in by the police department and may travel several hours to reach a search site. Along with their rescue dog, they search all types of weather and terrain for lost children, missing fishermen and hunters, accident victims, and injured hikers.
There is another type of rescue dog, which can sniff out your trail from the air. Aerial-sniffing rescue dogs work directly and specifically from aircraft, scanning the air and searching for victims. These dogs specialize in structural collapses and drowning victims. Because these air-sniffing rescue dogs work on the scent being carried high above the ground and away from handlers, they become very useful in areas that have been contaminated by human searchers, after it is allowed to air out. for a while.
In the eyes of many survivors, wonderful family pets, these furry canines are the greatest heroes of all!