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Judy Otto with Clark Kent

SAR Dogs Provide Needed Service, from Search-and-Rescue to Therapy

In the 15 years Judy Otto has worked with K9 SAR (canine search-and-rescue), she’s noticed a growing demand from the senior sector, from finding elders with fading memories who have wandered off, to therapy for soothing even personalities of the most ornery type.

On a recent trip to the Memphis Jewish Home, Otto’s K9 SAR partner, Clark Kent, was by her side, delighting residents and staff with exercises showcasing his talents. The 7-year-old Belgian Tervuren, aka DynaMax Sonshine Superman, is certified with various agencies in air-scenting, HRD (human remains detection), building search, and article recovery.

“It’s amazing what these dogs can do,” said Otto, a healthcare writer from Holly Springs who volunteers much of her time giving educational demonstrations to schools, nursing homes, and other groups in Mississippi and Memphis.

An example of how SAR dogs are highly trained: Clark Kent’s mother, the late Diana, aka Just-A-Wynter Witchcraft (born on Halloween) whom Otto also trained, passed a certification test for article recovery by finding a quarter and two other items hidden in the woods.

“With the proliferation of cell phones, we see increasingly fewer missing hunters, hikers, campers, and even children who wander off into the woods and get lost—even many kids have cell phones and can call for help, these days,” said Otto. “That’s why we’re called to assist in disproportionate numbers of elderly missing persons. And because they’re often confused, forgetful, and/or exhibit Alzheimer’s symptoms, the searches can be challenging. Clark found an Alzheimer’s patient last summer who had been missing for nearly 24 hours—since the previous afternoon. Her family had searched the area for her, but in her state of mental confusion, she had been actively avoiding all searchers as she wandered in circles. When Clark led me to her—at about 1 p.m. on a day when it was a steamy 97 degrees—she recoiled and stepped behind a tree because Clark is a large dog who looks intimidating. I quickly reassured her that he wouldn’t hurt her—he was a search dog, and we had been looking for her. Her response was, ‘I’m not lost!’ Despite the heat, she was wearing a heavy coat, and it’s a wonder she didn’t pass out, but although a little dehydrated, she was fine after the ambulance crew checked her out.”

The demand for SAR dogs has become so acute that some owners have begun the training process with their dogs. “Quite a number of people are initially fascinated, but it’s a case of ‘many are called; few are chosen,’” said Otto. “Not because the dogs can’t do it, in most cases, but because the handlers aren’t willing or able to commit the time and effort to bring their dog and themselves to a level of consistent, reliable performance that someone’s life can reasonably depend upon. It’s not a hobby you can pursue only when the weather is pleasant, when you’re in the mood, or when your family doesn’t have some more interesting activity they want you to pursue with them. The dogs must be prepared to perform at the top of their game no matter what time of day, what time of year, what the weather might be—and believe me, very few people get lost when it’s 65 to 70 degrees on a pleasant, sunny day, in the middle of a beautifully-landscaped and briar-free city park!”

In addition to a disciplined training regimen, SAR K9s require regular re-certifications—often annually— to confirm that owners are keeping them at an acceptable performance level. Otto successfully re-certified Clark Kent at the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force evaluations in mid-June.

“It takes between 18 months and two years to get a handler-dog team ready to pass a certification test administered by a nationally-recognized organization and impartial evaluators who agree that the dog and handler are competent to assist law enforcement and Emergency Services agencies in searching for lost and missing persons—alive or deceased,” she explained.

SAR dogs are trained in various disciplines, from tracking and mantrailing to HRD and “cadaster” (cadaver/disaster) recovery.

“As humans, we generate scent all the time, not just from where our feet contact the ground. That’s why, in addition to mantrailing K9s, other dogs known as air-scenting dogs, are used to work where no scent trail exists,” said Otto. “These dogs are usually released to search freely, off-lead, checking the air as they go, questing for scent carried on the breeze from the person’s location—wherever he might be hiding—or not hiding. These dogs follow the faint air-borne scent traces, playing a ‘getting warmer … warmer … hot!’ game as they follow the scent to its strongest point—at the source. Not all air-scenting dogs are scent-discriminatory—many are trained to work in the wilderness and find any human who is out there.”

K9 SAR dogs can and do specialize in more than one discipline, Otto pointed out, “but obviously, as with people, each dog’s capabilities vary.”

“The best advice is to stick to one specialty and spend training time becoming extremely good at that one skill,” said Otto, who is part of a Mid-South Search and Rescue Dog Association (MSSARDA) team which includes dogs qualified and mission-ready in air-scenting, mantrailing, HRD, water recovery (HRD), and other sub-disciplines.

Certified therapy dogs are increasingly being sought for work in settings ranging from senior health to prison.

“Stories will bring tears to your eyes,” said Otto. “At the extreme, there have been hardened people who care for nobody and nothing, yet learn compassion and kindness from non-judgmental creatures who trust and depend on them for everything—and learn willingly from them. Their entire attitude changes! They learn the value of reaching out and helping others who need them, from working with dogs who need and love them unconditionally. It’s truly heartwarming.”

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Judy Otto, Mid-South Search and Rescue Dog Association, MSSARDA.

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