Calling All Sniffers: Search + Rescue Dogs Bound for Haiti

Professionally trained "sniffer" search dogs from around the globe are being deployed this week to aid rescue operations in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation posted a deployment on their website which calls to action the American organizations that train search and rescue dogs. 

According to Discovery News, an international contingency of search and rescue doggies are being readied to aid the devastated people of Haiti. British, French, Chinese, Canadian, Russian, Peruvian, Mexican, Taiwanese and United States-based canine sniffer teams have been dispatched along with tons of tents, food and medical equipment. 

New York-based canine handler Scott Mateyaschuk and his dog Aragon are headed to the island nation to help in the search and recovery of effort. Watch Mateyaschuk describe the mission below, and meet one of the brave four-legged rescuers.

Therapy Dogs: On a sweet and heart-warming note, some reports indicate that the presence of the doggies on the long flights to Haiti helped to ease the tension of the rescue workers on board the plane.

Good luck and a big thank you to Scott, Aragon and all the search and rescue teams!!!

Article reprint courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley

Comments

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I just wanted to register a complaint about the Underdog to Wonderdog episode that was aired 01/16/10 involving the placement of Shetland Sheepdog "Chase" on a horse ranch. The first issue I have is that no parental warning was given at the start of the program regarding its outcome. As a result, I'm sure many children, as well as adults, ended up in tears. This was very disturbing. Second, as an animal behaviorist myself, I found mayself wondering throughout the show if placing a city-bred sheltie, a breed with which I am extremely familiar, on a ranch was a wise idea. But I assured myself that the team certainly would explain to the family about the tendancy of newly rehomed dogs, especially herding dogs, to take off running until they feel completely secure in their new homes, and caution them not to leave Chase off-leash. Apparently, this was not the case, as that beautiful young dog lost his life because of either their failure to educate the adopting family, or because these ranch folk ignored their advice and left Chase loose to be hit by a car. Not only was this an unwise placement, it was a tragic one. And either the episode should have been pulled from the lineup or the appropriate warnings been aired prior to the episode being aired.