2015-06-15 vol 9 no 6.pdf

SAR Dog News June 2015 Published by the National Search Dog Alliance Vol. 9, No. 6

The Voice of K-9 Search and Rescue @ n-sda.org Founding members: K-9 Thor, Eileen M. Nobles, Susan Bulanda, K-9 Roo, Leslie Godchaux, Brian R. Hendrickson, Continental Kennel Club, Inc., K-9 River, K-9 Persha, Jan Thompson, K-9 Cali, Peggy Ann Buchman, K-9 Geist

CONTENTS Article page 2015 BOD Meeting Dates 1 Hero Dog Contest 1 New NSDA Officers elected 3 Message from the President 3 Thank You 3 Teams Pass NSDA Tests in 3 states 4 New Ramapo Training Center 5 Utah Passes HRD Law 5 Is Your Team Training in a Rut? 6 Tips for Planning Your Trainings 6 PODCAST and Prizes on the 15th 8 Happy Birthday (K-9 SAR story) 8 New Products 12 Wanted – TICKS ! 13 Gun Source Residue standard 14 Texas Flood Conditions 15 Nepal Earthquake SAR team 15 Upcoming NSDA & Other Agency Tests 18 Kibbles and Bits 19 Last Howl 21 Board of Directors 22 Training, Seminars & Conferences 23

2015 BOARD MEETING DATES

July 2 August 6

September 3 Contact Secretary, Julie Gibson ([email protected]) for the call in number for the meetings.

Bucky says

Some days you’re the Dog. Some days

you’re the hydrant.

American Humane Association

HERO DOG CONTEST

June 26: last day to vote for finals

Three finalists in the K-9 Search and Rescue category have been chosen. They will enter another round of voting which started on May 26 to determine the finalist for the category. A prize of $2,500 will be given to NSDA if our NSDA partner is the finalist in the Search and Rescue category. The handler will then go on to the grand finals in Los Angeles. Choose your most outstanding candidate and vote daily. See Page 2 to see Glory, our NSDA contender. Go to: www.herodogawards.org to vote. Select the category: “Search and Rescue”.

SAR Dog News, June 2015 Glory is an eight year old Bloodhound who has been trained and certified to track lost pets. During her long and successful career, she has helped bring closure to hundreds of families. Glory works in extreme temperatures and under difficult conditions and is devoted to her work. "We were terrified," says Stephanie, the owner of a lost cat, Pistol. "Pistol was gone from our front yard and we had no idea where to look. When Glory led to the freeway and wanted to cross, I couldn't believe it. But Glory was right, as we had Pistol back that same afternoon— Pistol had crossed the 101 freeway and was right across from where Glory indicated." Paisley, Yorkshire terrier mix lost three days. "How does one even put words to an experience of knowing we may never have seen Paisley again? Without your fierce help and Glory's devotion to her work, we wouldn't be sitting here with Paisley tonight." Derek Goldie, the Pomeranian. "When I received the devastating news Goldie was missing, I spent six nights walking through the area and calling into a megaphone, put up 300 posters and offered a $1,000 reward. Goldie was lost 60 miles away with no food or water--it was more than my family could bear. Our hearts were broken. On day eight, Landa arrived with Glory working 24 hours a day in the rain. At nine days missing Glory found

Goldie alive under crates in an outdoor factory." Karin Thank You for your Stories

and your Efforts

NSDA would like to thank the other entries of NSDA partners. They were both very credible and they deserve our recognition also.

Caymus

Ferdinand

SAR Dog News, June 2015

New NSDA Officers Elected at June Quarterly Meeting

Susan Fleming is the new President of NSDA. Susan is from Pennsylvania and has served as Evaluator Chair and previously as Membership Chair. Terry Crooks will be Vice President, a position he held last year. Terry is from Montana. Sherry Scruggs will continue on as Treasurer. Sherry hails from Georgia. Julie Gibson is NSDA’s Secretary again this year. Julie is an Idaho resident. Heather Proper VanValkenberg joins the Board this year after serving on the Testing Committee. Heather is from Pennsylvania.

Message from new NSDA President, Susan Fleming

I have served on the NSDA Board of Directors for several years and have witnessed many changes in the time I have served. We have increased our Team Membership; added more discipline standards; continue to increase the number of Evaluators for NSDA; gained membership in states where we didn’t

have members; increased the number of sites for testing; and added trainings and testing from other organizations as opportunities for our membership. Our membership is increasing as we listen to what search and rescue volunteers and law enforcement request. It is amazing to me that all of the Alliance officers, Board members and

Committee Chairs are volunteers and give so generously of their free time to serve NSDA. As we grow as an organization, more volunteer opportunities arise. Sometimes, it may be a “once and done” job. Sometimes, it may be a much needed ongoing process job. Volunteers are busy people and as life changes for some of our volunteers, we lose them as they move on. I may need your help some day and give you a call. If you can’t help, maybe you can suggest a person who would be interested. One thing that makes NSDA different from many organizations is the fact that we are responsive. If you send an email, or make a phone call, it will be answered in a timely manner. Our organization is “on a roll”. Let’s keep it that way!

A Hugh NSDA “Thank you” to Norma Snelling, Jan Meyer, and

Gloria Howard! By Susan Fleming

On behalf of NSDA, I would like to thank Norma, Jan and Gloria for all their contributions to the organization. Thanks to Norma, NSDA is moving forward. We would not be where we are if Norma hadn’t stepped up and taken over as President. She worked many hours on everything from presidential responsibilities to editing standards, newsletters and everything else that had to be done. Well done, Norma, for all your commitment and dedication! Jan Meyer is stepping down from the Board and has spent a tremendous amount of time helping NSDA. She has chaired numerous seminars, conducted more canine evaluations last year than any other Evaluator and has kept the Board on its toes with standards. Well done, Jan, for all your efforts!

SAR Dog News, June 2015 Gloria Howard has finished her term but will continue to help with the Alliance Depot. She has been very helpful to the Board with decision-making and will be missed. We are so happy she is continuing to handle the Alliance Depot. The NSDA Board appreciates and values all of you and wishes you the best!

TWO TEAMS PASS IN MONTANA

Tom Ostercamp & Stormy Trailing I

Terry Crooks & Beacon Area Search with Live & Cadaver Source

THREE TEAMS PASS NSDA’S LAND

HRD IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA

Janet Wyatt and partner, Raine. Janet hosted this event in Sarasota and did an excellent job.

Denise Wegesend Conrad & partner, Don

Cheryl Del Pozzo Gallagher & Niko


A dream come true!

Ramapo's new home and the site of the Ramapo Rescue Dog Foundation Canine Training Center. A 188 acre equestrian estate located in the Town of Hamptonburgh, just 63 miles north of Manhattan, with two barns, an indoor riding arena, rolling fields, woods and 2 ponds has become the new home for Ramapo Rescue Dog Association. The site will provide training opportunities for civilian canine search and rescue teams and for those involved in Homeland Security --- law enforcement, military and disaster search teams, both state and federal. The Foundation was formed with an endowment given to RRDA by the Estate of Ronald S. Kane and Solomon G. Grossman.

Ramapo Rescue Dog Association

www.ramaporescuedog.org

Melissa White and Cole pass

Trailing III in Pennsylvania

Seen with subject Kevin Fleming

Utah HRD law H.B. 173 Recovery Dog Training

Amendments This bill: allows the medical examiner to retain tissue from an unclaimed body in order to donate the tissue to an individual for the purpose of training a dog to search for human remains. The bill was signed by the Governor March 2, 2015. See full details at: http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/HB0173.html Along the road:

“But Officer, I only had one, in dog years.”


IS YOUR TEAM IN A RUT?

By Norma Snelling Are you getting bored with SAR? Many small teams start out with wonderful intentions and lots of enthusiasm. They investigate places to train, things to do, new projects to excite the handlers and dogs. Then they add a couple of more people and have to start planning. Then they add a couple more people and they have to have schedules. Then they add a couple more people and there becomes confusion. Then someone takes charge and sometimes becomes a dictator. The answer many times is, “Let’s choose one or two places to meet every week so everyone knows where to go on Saturday and Thursday.” Sounds great. Then you realize that if everyone shows up, you have eight handlers, three hours to train and oops, you ran out of time. Everyone can only have a twenty minute problem because everyone expects a problem every time they take the effort to show up. Right? Wrong. It might work for beginners but as the dog teams advance, you need more experiences and more time. Area teams need new subjects. The dog has already learned all of the standard hiding places. He is BORED! He also needs to learn to search when you are not within view.

What would you do on a 50 – 75 acre search? Can you navigate and grid search? HRD teams need vehicles and

buildings, forests and open fields, trash and animal remains. They need to search with

people present, traffic distractions or equipment working. Trailing teams need fences and streams, concrete, brick and pavement, blackberries and swamps. They need to cross roads and streams and go through playgrounds. Area and Trailing teams need to search for men, women, children and different races. They should be standing, walking, hiding, talking on a cell phone. How is your training program working out. What, you don’t have a training program? No timelines? No objectives? Well, just keep showing up on Saturday and Thursday. These are compiled from actual complaints heard over many years in many states. You are not alone. If you have solved these problems, please share with the rest of our readers. Helping each other is why NSDA was formed. [email protected]

TIPS FOR PLANNING

TRAININGS By Sue Wolff

When driving around, always be on the lookout for possible training sites. Ask friends, family and team members if they know of sites that could be used. Be specific as to what is needed i.e. acreage if doing area or trailing, fields, trees, flat or hilly, etc. Remember to also think outside the box. Abandoned, but safe, construction sites (commercial or residential) work well for training too.


Ask team members to bring friends to be new subjects for the dog. Boy Scout Troops and Civil Air Patrol cadets make good subjects. Both organizations sponsor training in SAR and working with a K-9 team would help them as well. No matter who you use for subjects, be sure to tell them the time commitment that they are making. If they can only devote three hours, check with the training officer if this is enough time. If an all day search is planned, this person would not be a help on that day. Conversely if you need someone for all day, don’t tell them that they will only be needed for “a couple of hours”. They will get antsy, become mad at you (and the team) and never come back. Subjects also need to be informed on how to dress, what to bring with them and/or what will be provided by the Team i.e. water, food, camouflage, etc. The Trainer and assistants as well as subjects must get to training at least an hour before the rest of the team. This will allow for set up time so that handlers and K-9s will not know where the subjects are hidden or where the track was laid. Have more than one thing going on at a time. Get an experienced handler to work with the newbies in one area while more experienced handlers and K-9s are searching in another. Be specific with the assistant trainer as to what to work on with the newbie and allocate a specific time frame for them to accomplish this. Then have them report back to the head trainer and let the experienced handler go out on a search. The newbie can either crew for this handler or another one or even be a

subject. That way the assistant trainer is not deprived of their training time and the newbie is kept busy. Plan a scenario in which all team members can participate. Use a search you’ve been on or invent one i.e. glider lands in a tree; pilot is thrown out and presumed dead. Use certified handlers as lead K-9 teams and have additional handlers crew as radio operator and medic. Other personnel can man the base and conduct radio operations. Train in all kinds of weather. After all, searches don’t always happen on sunny days in 70° weather. Train at night—in the woods if that’s where you would normally have a search or in town. Both scenarios will benefit the handler and the dog. Each can find out what their strengths and deficiencies are under these circumstances. Train at different times of the day. Scent acts differently depending on the temperature. Work negative areas. Nine times out of ten on a search the area to which you are assigned will have nothing in it.

Put distractions in search areas i.e. steak bones, fast food wrappers, food, animal remains, etc.

Try to get a salvage yard in which to train. This way the trainer doesn’t have to worry if the dog inadvertently puts scratches on a car or residuals are left in a vehicle. The biggest asset to effective training is imagination. Use yours!


June PODCAST & Prizes

The June 2015 Search Dog PODCAST features an interview with Steve Hinch, author of Outdoor Navigation with GPS. Listen to the show to understand more about how your GPS receiver works and for some practical tips. Find the show at http://sardoc.podbean.com and on iTunes. The PODCAST now has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/searchdogpodcast Please like us and share. Last month two winners were chosen at random to win a collar from Glowdoggie.com. The winners are Susan Brogan and Anne Beamish. This month Teddy the Dog will has donated some fun gear to be given to one listener. www.teddythedog.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY By Chelsea Usher

For most people, the twentieth birthday is fairly uneventful. It isn’t a milestone birthday, but you can usually weasel a meal and some cake out of it. If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to hang out with friends. My twentieth birthday this past July was no different; unless of course you count spending multiple hours searching a compost facility for a body different.

We drove up to the Sevier County Solid Waste Compost Plant and were met by a police officer with a clipboard. At the moment, the plant was a crime scene, which meant she had to record exactly who came and went.

We’re with the Search and Rescue team.

Names? In typical fashion, Roy decided to be sarcastic.

Roy Ferguson, Suzie Ferguson, Chelsea Usher, Schatzie, and Apache.

The officer stopped writing and shot a quizzical glace at Roy.

Well, you wanted everybody, right? I mean, they are the brains of the operation.

The officer was only slightly amused. Drive on through. The other guy is parked right over there. She pointed to a silver SUV.

We parked in a partially shaded loading dock. To our right, I could see through an open doorway into a large warehouse. The sign had clearly said “compost,” but this wasn’t your grandmother’s kitchen scraps. Mounds of what I considered pure garbage were piled twenty feet high. Of the 375 tons of garbage the plant received daily, anything organic was directed towards the composting section. Soon, they would be pushed into the open composting tubes in the floor behind them. I opened the door and stepped out. I thought back to my grandfather’s stories. A hundred degrees in the shade, he’d say. I hadn’t believed that was possible until now. It wasn’t yet noon, but according to the radio, it was already over 100 degrees. The sickening stench of the plant hung in the air. It was like sticking your face into a garbage can that hadn’t been emptied in two weeks. I looked down and thought back to a project in elementary school when we used lint to make paper. The ground appeared to be covered in an art project gone wrong, albeit a very odiferous art project. I pushed at a pile of the grey gunk with my shoe wondering how so many different items all came out looking the same.

SAR Dog News, June 2015 To my left, the warehouse continued for several hundred feet. Separated from the main warehouse by a small road, a smaller warehouse stood in the distance. Apache jumped out of the truck, nearly knocking me

over. The excited German shepherd anxiously looked from back and forth from the warehouse to Roy. He was ready to work. His nose surveyed the air, bringing a myriad of repulsive and yet exciting odors. Roy slipped the orange

harness over his head, the bright orange in stark contrast to his dark amber and black markings. As I stepped away from the door, Schatzie daintily leapt out of the truck. Lighter in color and smaller in size, Schatzie’s slender frame makes her easily distinguishable from Apache. A few sniffs later, her ears were back towards her skull. Clearly, the stench was far beneath the older, wiser shepherd.

Suzie, look! Look at her ears! Roy began to giggle. Though probably a hair over six feet and sixty, he often giggles like a child. When he smiles, it reaches ear to ear and she slinked forward. If looks could kill, Roy would have been cold before he hit the ground. Suzie, though laughing, attempted to console the distressed shepherd and fastened the harness around Schatzie’s chest. Ordinarily the more serious of the two, though still fun loving, Suzie has an air of independence about her. Her brown wavy, shoulder length hair was pulled back and she, like Roy, was decked out in search and rescue gear: black Halfway to the silver SUV, we were met by their team member, Brian, and his shepherd Lexi. He began to explain his search pattern

and where he hoped Roy and Suzie would search. Somewhere in the middle of his speech, as I took in my surroundings, I wondered how on Earth I’d ended up at a compost facility, looking for a body. That morning had begun the same as the morning before with a wake-up call from the 80 pound, not quite 2-year-old Apache. When I heard the door to my room creak open, I pretended to be soundly asleep. That only prompted him to jump onto the bed and sit on me. Fortunately for him, the innocence in his expression coupled with big brown eyes and a strategically timed head tilt kept him out of trouble. It was my twentieth birthday. Not a milestone by any means, but I was looking forward to another relaxing day visiting with Roy and Suzie. Residents of Sevierville, Tennessee, the Fergusons had been instrumental in my senior project, a children’s book about puppy raising for Leader Dogs for the Blind. We’d become good friends, and every summer since then, I’d jumped the North Carolina/Tennessee border to spend a weekend with them and participate in Search and Rescue training. By participate, I mean they’d hand me a walkie-talkie, point me towards the woods and say “get lost.” I was a pro. While these dogs can be trained to find the living on land, they can also be certified to find the dead on land or in water. The smell produced by human remains is distinct, and with an olfactory center several times the size of our own, dogs are able to pick out this scent from something as small as a drop of blood. Even if a body has been buried in a forest for a decade, the dogs can still pick up the smell in the leaves of the trees which have been feeding off of the nutrients within the remains.

Suzie and I were at the grocery store that morning picking out a birthday cake when

SAR Dog News, June 2015 Roy called. A man had gone missing from his workplace, the compost facility, on Friday. They now suspected he’d fallen into one of the composting tubes and hoped the dogs could confirm or deny their suspicions. According to the police, the man, a fifty-four year old white male, was last seen in the break room, so we grabbed a few water bottles and headed across the lot. The break

room was actually inside the smaller warehouse which housed recyclable cardboard. Even the cardboard reeked. Mountains of stained and ripped cardboard covered the

cement floor.

Let’s start in the break room. Roy handed me Apache’s leash. You wait out here with him. Their teammate Brian also handed me his dog’s leash and the three of them stepped into the break room. Apache, Lexi, and I stood outside the door of the warehouse sweating in the sun, batting away flies. Only one dog can work at a time. They’re likely to distract each other and it keeps them from cheating off each other. Cadaver dogs only want one thing: their reward. If they don’t find a body, they don’t get their reward. Ergo, if Apache were to see Schatzie alert in the break room, he might be tempted to follow suit in order to get the coveted towel tug-toy. Suzie emerged from the break room, followed by the men.

Nothing. You can sit with those two in the break room in the air conditioning and we’ll search the rest of the warehouse.

I called the dogs and we all piled into the small, dank break room. To the casual observer, it may have seemed absurd to

search an area no bigger than a dorm room with a cadaver dog. Clearly, if the body were there, it would have been more than apparent. But Schatzie hadn’t been sent to look for a body; she was looking for bodily fluids, or trace evidence. Had our missing man been the victim of foul play and had he been struck with an object in this room, the dogs would have found it. I amused myself by examining every inch of the room, pretending to look for clues. The man’s hard hat still sat on the table, yellow and dented. A bulletin board hung on one wall. It was covered with announcements about payroll changes and shift policies. The concrete floor was cracked and a single file line of ants ran from one wall to a Cheeto left on the floor. Apache lay watching the ants, occasionally sniffing with too much force, disrupting the line and sending the little ants rolling. Lexi had situated herself on the other side of the room by the water cooler. The door opened. Schatzie trotted in and Roy stuck his head in the door. Apache, come. The shepherd jumped to his feet.

Find something? Maybe. Schatzie alerted twice so we’ll see what he does.

The door shut.

Several minutes later, the process was repeated. Apache was returned and Lexi was taken into the warehouse. When the group returned, they had more questions than answers.

Well, they all hit on the same pile of cardboard, but when we got someone to move it, there wasn’t anything there.

Roy sat down across from me, face dripping with sweat.


There’s no way of knowing what they smell. Some guy could have had a nose bleed as he was stacking the cardboard, or if that guy got chopped up in the machine and spit out the other side, some rat could have brought a bone from his finger into the warehouse.

That’s lovely. I cringed.

Over the next few minutes, while everyone recuperated from the heat, we came up with a variety of possibilities worthy of CSI.

What if he was messing around with some guy’s wife and they got into it in here. He could have hit him, stashed the body out in the warehouse and then gotten rid of it after hours! Suzie was convinced someone had done him in.

Nah, he probably just ran away with a mistress and didn’t want to fess up so he just went missing, Roy piped in, chuckling.

Though we were all laughing, I couldn’t help wondering why. The latter was the best case scenario; all the others had him dead by foul play. In the end, we agreed the police probably had it right to begin with: an ill-timed heart attack, which sent him tumbling into the tube. When everyone had rehydrated, we decided to walk back to the main building. We were laughing as we turned the corner into the main lot, but then we saw them.

That’s his family. They were here yesterday, too. Brian said. What had been a casual moment suddenly became tense. I dropped my head and watched the pavement pass under my feet. I glanced up once and saw a teenage girl holding an older woman. I dropped my gaze

again. I looked down at my red Gardner-Webb Dawg Pound t-shirt. I didn’t look like I belonged with the K-9 unit. Were they wondering why this college kid had invaded this matter that was so personal to them? I couldn’t imagine what they were going through, or how hard it must have been for them to watch us walk across the lot. I breathed a sigh of relief as we reached the far warehouse, mostly out of sight of the grieving family. I realized then why only ten minutes before, we’d been joking about the situation: we were coping. To work objectively, we couldn’t admit that we were there because Bobby Reagan was presumed dead. Ordinarily, the team works in remote areas and sees little of the victim’s family. This time, it was different. As we stood by the door to the warehouse, we formulated a new plan. Brian would go behind the building and work the surrounding area while Roy and Suzie would work inside.

I was the designated dog sitter. I would sit with one dog in the shade of the fire truck on the other side of the lot as far from the stench as humanly possible, and Roy and Suzie would work with the other. About every twenty minutes, the dogs were rotated. I continued to sit in the grass and talk with three of the firemen, all who were very interested in how the dogs worked. After an hour and a half of this routine, Roy and Suzie emerged and called me over to the warehouse door.

Find him?


No. Both dogs are really interested in the same spot, but neither one will alert. Apache actually wants to go inside the tube.

To make a formal alert, the dogs must sit. Anything less is merely labeled as interest. As they were discussing the next course of action, one of the firemen called out that they’d found him. Rescue workers inside the compost tube had located the body. For a moment, no one moved. Why hadn’t the dogs found him? We were discussing what went wrong when Brian returned with his dog.

Try again. Roy turned to look at him. Why? They changed the air flow. When the HAZMAT team went in this morning they tried to make it easier on them by pushing air through the tube to the outside. They’ve turned it off now.

Cadaver dogs are good, but when the scent is being forced in the opposite direction, it creates confusion. So, though soaked through with sweat and exhausted, they decided to give it another try. This time, I sat with Apache just outside the door. I watched as Suzie led Schatzie through the steps again, searching every crevice. When they returned, Roy was smiling.

Yep, she got it!

He grabbed Apache’s leash and walked into the building. Schatzie melted into the pavement beside me. Again, Roy returned with a smile.

He got it, too, although he was a little confused to begin with. He’s never had to alert to a target that far away before.

I thought back to the training sessions I’d sat in on the previous summer. The sample was never more than four feet from where the dog could sit down. This time, the body was about seventy five feet down a tube filled with garbage. That tends to make things a little difficult. When we got home, we immediately bathed the dogs for fear they’d stepped in something corrosive in the plant. We then shed as many layers as possible and scrubbed our boots relentlessly. That wasn’t a smell we wanted to stick around. By that time, we’d already gotten word from the rescue workers that the heart attack scenario was looking more and more likely. After we’d all had a chance to shower and eat a late lunch, I sat down to call my Mom.

Happy birthday! She sang into the phone. So what did you guys do today?

I laughed. You’re never going to believe this one…

NEW PRODUCTS

EXFIL® SAR tactical The EXFIL® SAR is the first helmet built for Search and Rescue to provide tactical accessory mounting capabilities, including a standard NVG shroud, while

meeting key industrial and mountaineering performance standards. The EXFIL® SAR Tactical is optimized for use with night vision devices and features a machined aluminum Wilcox® NVG shroud. The helmet also includes a 4-point CAM FIT™ retention system with chin cup for optimal stability and a Boa® Closure System to dial in precise fit

SAR Dog News, June 2015 adjustment while providing single-handed quick release. Another feature included is the SAR Accessory 2.0 Rail system that allows for custom mounting. The helmet comes in U.S. Coast Guard Orange, red, white and black.

The EXFIL® SAR Backcountry was designed for users who do not intend on mounting night vision devices to their helmet. This version features a glass-reinforced polycarbonate shroud for mounting cameras and lights. It also includes a sport-style under the chin retention strap with

Fidlock® magnetic buckle and a Boa® Closure System to dial in precise fit adjustment while providing single-handed quick release. The SAR Accessory Rail 2. 0 System is optional.

For costs, specs and ordering information, see http://www.teamwendy.com/products/helmets Sidewinder® Rescue light The Sidewinder Rescue is a slim, lightweight

personal light that can be used as a life-saving beacon in times of distress or during swift water rescue operations. A 185° articulating head features a “slide-in-place” diffuser that projects omni-directional light which

can be seen from almost anywhere. The light is powered by 2 AA batteries. With alkaline batteries, it weighs about 4 oz. Lithium batteries add about an ounce to the weight.

Four LEDs provide all of the colors for a distress marker with no need to use filters that can get lost or broken All LEDs provide unidirectional light for general lighting needs and omni-directional light when using the slide-in-place diffuser. High-impact, super-tough, nylon cases offers exceptional durability and weather resistance; gasket-sealed, unbreakable polycarbonate lens with scratch-resistant coating A paracord lanyard provides extra security from loss of the light and also allows it to be worn around the neck. Additionally it can be mounted on a helmet. For costs, further product information and purchase locations, see www.streamlight.com

DOES YOUR DOG COLLECT TICKS?

YOU NOW CAN TOO! Furman University is conducting Infectious Disease research. They are requesting that people who live in the Southeast part of the country catch ticks. Mail your ticks to the address below. Yes that is correct, they want your ticks! Here is what you need to do... 1) Collect ticks you have (tick jars with

alcohol are great), If you do not have ticks now send them until the end of July.

2) Put them in a plastic bag (without the alcohol).

3) Send them in (they can send you an envelope and stamp if you'd like).

4) Fill out the brief survey (1 min or less) linked on their web page at

http://johnquinniv.wix.com/furman-tick-research#!help/cm8a

Furman Tick Project CO: John E. Quinn Department of Biology 3300 Poinsett Highway Greenville, SC 29613 [email protected]


The CDC counts fourteen (14) illnesses linked to specific U.S. tick species. Lyme is the most common, with about 30,000 cases reported each year, although the CDC has estimated that the true number could be ten times higher. Two new tick-borne viruses were recently discovered in the Midwest and neither has a specific treatment. The CDC has confirmed nine cases of Heartland virus and one death. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, diarrhea and low blood counts. Identified in Missouri, the virus also was reported in Tennessee and Oklahoma,

although the Lone Star tick that spreads it lives around the East and Southeast. Then there's the Bourbon virus, with similar symptoms, discovered

last year after the death of a Kansas man and named for his home county. Another patient, in Oklahoma, recovered. The Kansas man had found an embedded tick days before getting sick. CDC researchers are searching for the culprit species. The CDC recommends:

• Shower soon after being outdoors to spot ticks more easily and check pets that can carry ticks inside.

• If you've been in tick-infested areas, carefully do a full-body check, including under arms, behind knees, ears and hair.

• When in the woods, walk in the center of trails, avoiding brush and leaf litter.

• Use bug repellent with DEET on exposed skin, or wear long pants and long sleeves.

• If you are bitten, remove the tick as soon as possible.

Searchers, remember the CDC advises

“When in the woods, walk in the center of trails, avoiding brush and

leaf litter.”

GUN SOURCE RESIDUE (Firearms Evidence)

STANDARD The Board has approved the Gun Source Residue standard. The supporting Evaluator documents are being completed and will soon be put on the NSDA website. If you are interested in being part of the beta testing, you will need to train your dog on the following items:

Dismantled Hand Gun or Shotgun Brass Shells (3 each) Shotgun Shell (1 each) Gun Oil (1 teaspoon) Magazine (loaded or empty Gun Powder both black and smokeless (Min. 2 oz.- Max 6 oz.) Examples: Blue Dot, Green Dot, Red Dot, Bullsey, IMR SR4756, IMR 700-X, Goex Black Rifle Powder. (Gunpowder may be placed in glass jar with vented lid or contained in mesh fabric.)

For more information and to take part in the initial testing period, contact Cat Best at [email protected]


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BELIEVE YOU SEARCH IN A TOUGH

AREA: A request for dogs for the flooding in TX. Instructions to handlers responding: Mosquitoes are really bad. Bring high level Deet. Things are drying out but the silt is very deep and, if wet, will suck you down. Snakes are angry and moving. Brush piles: some are over twenty feet tall. Lots of large trees with leaf litter and reeds making for collapsing footing. A walking stick to tap were you are going to step will help keep you on your feet. Like normal Texas weather, it heats up fast. Bring hydration for you and your partner. I highly recommend hydrolyte for your K-9. Does not cause diarrhea like go dog. Fire ants are also out in droves. Be careful. They love the debris piles and will attack you and your dog if you step into where they are. What are the search conditions in your area? Help new handlers understand the large variety of conditions that are involved in K-9 search and rescue. [email protected]

NEPAL

Hello,

My name is Suze and I’m an American friend of SAR

DOGS Nepal. I’m reaching out to the SAR dog community here in the U.S. on their behalf to ask if you might consider helping them with their rebuilding and emergency response efforts in affected areas in the aftermath of the major quake that struck Nepal 6 weeks ago, even if only to share this email or the fundraiser page with your

networks. Like most SAR organizations, SAR DOGS Nepal is a small nonprofit that scrambles to keep their organization afloat. However, they face many additional challenges including the fact that they have just one vehicle for the whole team – a motorbike(!) because the Nepal government taxes vehicle imports 100%, so the off-road 4WD they need for their work in the Himalayas, especially

SAR Dog News, June 2015 during landslides and monsoon flooding, as well as the 7.8 magnitude quake in April, would cost them double the normal price.

Another challenge they recently faced is that one local official tried to steal the disaster relief materials they were delivering to a remote village in order to distribute them himself. They were able to talk their way out of that situation, fortunately. And now the Nepal government has enforced an end to relief operations by anyone other than themselves despite the fact that many folks still need help and the government of Nepal does not have the infrastructure to deliver the aid needed. It is an unbelievable situation that’s just compounding the damage, grief and despair that is affecting so many.

Adding to that, SAR DOGS Nepal must be bilingual – English and Nepali – although some of them speak additional languages as well – they do rescue and recovery of many international trekkers in Nepal.

I cannot begin to tell you how incredible these guys and their dogs are – I am not in the SAR community and never really thought about it much until I connected with them. I have such an appreciation of SAR work now – it’s opened up a whole new world to me.

I should also mention that these guys are incredibly humble and don’t really want to be praised or singled out – they just want to help the most vulnerable victims of the earthquake (they have been focusing on communities that the gov’t and large aid organizations have overlooked) – to give them tarps to get them through the monsoon

season, as well as food and medicine (which is what they have been doing for the past 6 weeks) and now to rebuild the schools in Dhading district that have been damaged by the quake, and get prepared for the monsoon landslides and flooding, which are already extremely deadly in a normal year, and expected to be much worse after the quake and 100+ aftershocks.

I think they are a bit discouraged by the lack of international help and the immensity of the task before them. I’ve been trying really hard to raise funds for them here in the US, but they don’t have name recognition like the large NGO’s do, so most of the money raised in the US goes to the large NGO’s even though some of them have already pulled their operations out of Nepal but still advertise that the donations go to Nepal (according to an insider I’m in contact with).

I put together a slideshow of SAR DOGS Nepal work that not only includes their earthquake relief efforts, but also their Search And Rescue work – that tells their story, so if you have a moment to take a look, I think you’ll find it worth your while.

I should also note that SAR DOGS Nepal is the only qualified clicker-trained team of SAR dogs and trainers in Nepal – not a common thing in a country where dogs do not enjoy the same status that they do in the U.S.

I’m launching a social networking site for dog lovers later this year (DogYearbook.com)) where I plan to chronicle the work of SAR DOGS Nepal. In the meantime, I’m reaching out to ask if you


might consider supporting them in their earthquake rebuilding and emergency response efforts by sharing this email with your SAR and other networks, and possibly giving a small donation to the fundraiser I organized for them. (if everyone gives $10-$20, we’d reach our funding goal!) There are Facebook and Twitter icons on the fundraiser page that you can click to share on FB and Twitter too – that would be a big help in and of itself.

Here’s their website: http://www.sardogsnepal.asia/ (there are more donation options on the homepage, including a link to my fundraiser). They also tweet frequent updates on their activities – I encourage anyone interested in their work to follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sardogsnepal

As mentioned above, I organized a crowd funding campaign for SAR DOGS Nepal and their earthquake relief efforts here:

http://www.youcaring.com/emergency-fundraiser/nepal-earthquake-relief-reaching smaller-forgotten-villages/355694

I would also like to ask if you would be interested in the idea of developing a relationship with them beyond their earthquake relief efforts. Perhaps visiting their academy in Shyauli Bazaar which is on the site of a beautiful resort (http://www.mkr.asia/). This might seem like a crazy idea – but it would be a once in a lifetime experience. (I can attest to that – I spent time in Nepal myself!) Or maybe going as a visiting instructor – they welcome international SAR

professionals to help them improve their SAR skills. Or maybe sponsoring one of their students at their SAR dog clicker training academy at some point? They have a sponsorship program that I can send you more information about if you are interested.

Here are bios of their core team (both human and dog): http://www.rettungshunde-nepal.de/wemwirhelfen_neu.htm (this is on German veterinarian Daniela Neika’s website – to translate to English on a PC, right click the screen and select “Translate to English” in the menu that pops up.)

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Things will be pretty awful for a long time for many Nepalis, as many lost their homes (hundreds of thousands) and schools, and many farmers have lost their crops, not to mention the massive loss of human and animal lives. Here are some sobering numbers: http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/05/22/top-story/240-nepalis-89-foreigners-still-missing/405557.html

Nepal is already one of the poorest countries in the world, and this major disaster has set them back considerably. SAR DOGS Nepal will keep busy with ongoing disaster response efforts for as long as they are needed and as long as they are funded.

Warm regards, Suze Fisher, Brunswick, Maine

Friend of SAR DOGS Nepal

Information provided by K9_Specialty c/o Marcia Koenig who states, “I have had contact with Daniela Neika for several years. She is a dog handler in Germany who goes there with her own money to train them. From every contact I have had with Daniela and the people in Nepal, they are a legitimate group who would put any donations to good use.”


UPCOMING NSDA TESTS

Visit www.n-sda.org for prerequisites and standards. June 27 CLOSED McDONOUGH, GEORGIA Land HRD Bill Hilsman To request more Land or WATER HRD dates [email protected] July 17, 18 & 19 CODY, WYOMING

Land HRD K.T. Irwin at: Water HRD [email protected] September 11,12,13 TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA Trailing Heather Proper-VanValkenberg Area [email protected] Land HRD, if requested Water HRD, if requested October 9, 10, 11 LUPTON, MICHIGAN Area Victoria Thompson Trailing [email protected] Land HRD Water HRD

UPCOMING OTHER AGENCY TESTS

June 19 BROOKINGS, S. DAKOTA Robert Noziska SARTECH™ II Exam [email protected] July 3, 5 FLAGSTAFF, AZ Cindy McArthur Canine SARTECH™ Area [email protected] Canine SARTECH™ HRD July 17, 18 LIBBY, MONTANA Susan Ague SARTECH™ II Exam [email protected] July 19, 20, 21 WINDBER, PENNSYLVANIA John Boburchuk SARTECH™ II [email protected] September 14 COLUMBIA FALLS, MONTANA Kim Gilmore IPWDA [email protected]


KIBBLES & BITS by Susan Bulanda

To my Loyal readers – Do you have any subjects that you would like me to cover? Send them to me at [email protected] with K & B in the subject line. Dog Breeds for SAR In the March K&B I promised to review some of the breeds of dogs that I have found to make great SAR dogs or that I feel have potential to be good SAR dogs. As a group, the livestock guarding dogs are not a good choice for SAR work. Of course there are always exceptions. Understanding what they were bred to do and how they do it will make it clear why they are some of the breeds least likely to be a good SAR dog. Livestock guarding dogs are bred not to depend on humans to do their job. Typically the dogs are

raised with the stock, which can include, sheep, goats, horses, chickens, and live their whole lives with them. They bond with the herd and the livestock accepts them as part of the herd. Typically these dogs work in pairs of two. They are also used to guard equipment and will guard and protect human families as well. What they protect depends on what they are introduced to, raised with and how they are trained.

They are usually white or tan in color and are very territorial. They protect the stock from all types of predators such as mountain lions, wolves, feral dogs, coyotes, bears, and humans. Their main job is to repel the predator and only attack if the predator comes too close to the herd. Since these dogs are very intelligent, they are not fooled by the tricks that some predators try in order to lure the dogs away from the herd. For example, one or two wolves or coyotes will get close to the herd, hoping to lure the dogs into chasing them. While the dogs chase the predator, others sneak in and kill one or more members of the herd. A good livestock guarding dog will not be fooled by these tricks. The way these dogs work is to move slowly with the herd. They understand when a female has a baby and will not come between them, but go around. Typically these dogs have a better than average sense of hearing, sight and smell. Livestock protection dogs like an orderly, predictable environment and will become curious or aroused over anything that is not normal to their environment. The only person they allow to approach the herd is the person or persons whom they associate as belonging with the herd, usually the shepherd. They will only allow the shepherd’s herding dog near the herd if they know and recognize the dog. To do their job well, protection dogs do not depend on their human owners for affection or attention.

SAR Dog News, May 2015 They are very independent and make decisions on their own based on any given situation. For this reason they are not easy to train; they are not submissive to the whims of humans. They do not care for strangers, animal or human, and will only accept a stranger if they have been taught to do so. However, since they are bred to be calm and aloof, in most cases they will remain neutral or standoffish rather than gush all over strangers as other breeds do. Livestock guarding dogs are used in the United States although they were originally developed in other countries. They have been successfully used in the US since the late 1970’s to protect large herds of sheep that were scattered over vast areas. For those who are interested, Drs. Green and Woodruff published a survey in 1988 of the evaluation of the use of livestock protection dogs in the US. This study evaluated 763 dogs and includes data on breed differences in their likeliness to bite or injure livestock and/or people. Another study was conducted by Dr. Ray and Lorna Coppinger at Hampshire College in MA. Of all of the livestock guarding dogs, the Great Pyrenees has the least recorded bites to humans. Here is a list of the most common livestock guarding dogs.

Akbash Dog Anatolian Shepherd Kangal Dog Karagash Dog

Cane Corso Castro Laboreiro Croatian Sheepdog Great Pyrenees Komondor

Kuvasz Maremma-Abruzzese Sheepdog

Polish Tatra Sheepdog

Shar Planinetz Slovak Tchouvatch

Tibetan Mastiff Although they are not considered livestock guarding dogs per se, the following breeds share many of the traits of the livestock guarding dogs in that they

are very aloof and tend to be difficult to train and un-accepting of strangers.

Fila Brasileiro Perro de Presa Canario None of the breeds listed above have the qualities to be a good SAR dog. They are not suitable as pets unless the potential dog owner has the experience to work with, socialize and control a dog with these qualities. For more information about livestock guarding dogs you can get a copy of Livestock Protection Dogs, Selection, Care and Training by David E. Sims and Orysia Dawydiak, ISBN: 0-940269-05-8


THE LAST HOWL By Sue Wolff

Opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the National Search Dog Alliance. Those of you who have big dogs, especially German shepherds, know how they react to thunder storms…poorly. Something about “that” noise seems to terrify them. My first dog, a Labrador-GSD mix was so frightened of the storms that he tried to dig his way thru the carpet in a closet in order to get himself to a safer place. The second GSD barked at the noise…perhaps a more logical reaction but still one of anxiety. My current GSD slinks into the bathroom, the only room in the house with no windows, and curls up in a ball by the shower. When I heard of thundershirt, I asked around and found no one who had ever used one but most everyone had heard good things about them. Not having any pet stores near me, I never got around to ordering a shirt online and consequently forgot about it. Recently when I was traveling, I was in a specialty pet shop and found thundershirts there. After examining one of them and liking what I saw, I purchased the XL which was the size for my dog (65-110 lbs) listed on the package. The price was $39.99 for the original heather gray which is the cost I had seen online and in catalogs. (Specialty colors are now available at a cost of $44.95.) Not only was the cost reasonable but the sizes on the box were accurate, something that is not always true with K-9 products.

So I sound like an ad for this product but it works!! My GSD has never had a problem wearing the shirt nor did she object to having it strapped onto her. The first time she wore it, she went into the bathroom during a storm but came out before it was over. Since then she has stayed in her usual spots when wearing the shirt during a storm. I put the shirt on her when I see/hear a storm approaching or notice she is becoming hinky, a precursor to a storm’s arrival. She has never objected to wearing it, even if the storm never appears. There are a few other anxiety reducing shirts on the market (Kong® makes one which additionally encases the dog’s legs; the thunderhirt wraps only around the dog’s body) so don’t take my word for it. Look at what’s available before making a decision. The premise behind these anxiety reducing shirts is constant pressure. This pressure has a calming effect on most dogs and humans i.e. people with autism using pressure to relieve continual anxiety. Symptoms for which to use the shirt are panting, shaking, drooling, barking/whining, hiding, scratching, licking, bolting, eliminating indoors, seizures, etc. According to the thundershirt box, this shirt can also be used for separation anxiety, car or travel anxiety, crate anxiety, fireworks, vet visits, any excitability and as a general training tool. There is further explanation on the website at www.thundershirt.com So bottom line is that I’m thrilled that someone finally came up with something to help dogs with anxiety problems…and that it works.

SAR Dog News, May 2015 **Post Script by Sue Wolff: The article written by Suzanne Elshult, SCVSAR K-9 and Marcia Koenig, KCSD on Search and Rescue K-9 Lessons Learned: OSO, Washington Landslide in the current issue (Feb/Mar) of K9Cop Magazine (page 62) is excellent and a must read for any SAR K-9 handler. It is comprehensive as well as educational. The ten page article is prominently featured in the magazine along with pictures, statistics and extensive data. Emergency managers and Incident Commanders can also benefit from this well written piece. Board of Directors— Susan Fleming, President, Pennsylvania [email protected] Terry Crooks, Vice-President, Montana

[email protected] Julie Gibson, Secretary, Idaho

[email protected] Sherry Scruggs, Treasurer, Georgia

[email protected] Robert Noziska, New Mexico

[email protected] Heather Proper VanValkenberg, Pennsylvania

Advocacy Council Susan Bulanda Frank Hancock Lisa Higgins Marcia Koenig Carol Ann Namur Larry Welker Dee Wild Arthur E. Wolff

TRAINING, SEMINARS & CONFERENCES

REACH OVER 1,300 SAR K-9 HANDLERS. LIST YOUR TRAININGS, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES IN THE

SAR DOG NEWS Contact Editor Norma Snelling at [email protected]

Training, Seminars & Conferences Continued June 26 - 28, Beginning/Introduction to Canine Water Search, Western Montana For information: Deb Termenstein at [email protected] June 27 - 28, Advanced Disaster Techniques for K-9s, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] June 27 - 28, Ground Search Technician, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] July 3 - 4 Annual Water HRD Training Cody, Wyoming Contact K.T. Irwin at [email protected] or go to NWK9SAR.com and click on training July 11 - 12, Water Cadaver Search Techniques for K-9s, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] July 24 - 26, Beginning/Introduction to Canine Water Search, Western Montana For information: Deb Termenstein at [email protected] July 25 - 26, Intermediate Air Scenting Techniques for K-9s, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] August 1, Crime Scene Operations – Blood Borne Pathogens, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] August 2, K-9 Pretest, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For more information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] August 7-9, Advanced Topics in Canine Water Search, Western Montana For information: Deb Tirmenstein at: [email protected] August 29-30, Advanced Land Cadaver Techniques for K-9s, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For more information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected]

Training, Seminars & Conferences Continued September 11-13, Intermediate Canine Water Search, Western Montana For information: Deb Tirmenstein at: [email protected] September 17 - 20, North American Search Dog Network (NASDN) Fall Seminar, Camp Kitaki, Louisville, NE. For information and registration: www.nasdn.org September 19 - 20, K-9 Credentialing Test, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For more information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected] September 27 – October 2, Appomattox, Virginia. Beginning and Advanced Trailing/Tracking, HRD (Land and Water) and Air Scent. Web site www.olddominionsar.com/ or call Ronnie 3360744-5246 or Tim/Suzy 615-452-9116 October 4 – 9, CSAR 2015 Seminar, Camp ASCCA, Jacksons Gap, Alabama Area, Trailing, HRD Land and HRD Water. For information: www.nasdak9.og/CSAR2015 or www.CSAR.ORG October 9-11, Canine Water Search, Level TBA, Western Montana For information: Deb Tirmenstein at [email protected] October 10, Skills Day, Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana. For more information call Lillian Hardy at 812-526-0013 or e-mail [email protected]

2015-06-15 vol 9 no 6.pdf

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