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LA Fires: Search Dogs Prove Invaluable in Disaster Response

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Rithani

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4 min read

23 Jan, 2025

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Southern California-trained and certified search dogs have been deployed in their own backyards to comb through the destruction caused by the LA fires.


Five teams trained by Ventura County's Search Dog Foundation are sifting through the debris of houses and businesses destroyed by the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Valley and the Palisades Fire in coastal Los Angeles.


In addition to detecting human remains, the highly skilled dogs and their human handlers are taking their knowledge to the Los Angeles region to hunt for living survivors.


Santa Paula-based Search Dog Foundation trains search-and-rescue dogs to find people in crisis zones.


Image Source: Pexels/Jozef Fehér


Many of the program's canines, including ones that were used in Los Angeles, were saved from shelters after being turned in due to their excessive energy, which makes them perfect candidates for search and rescue missions.


The group provides free training and certification to teams that are subsequently sent to fire departments across the country.


As per the reports of NDTV World, the routines of search dogs are similar to firefighters.


This ensures their preparedness for missions. The dogs undergo daily training exercises, including treadmill running and ladder climbing, to maintain their physical fitness and adaptability.


They are also trained using simulations of disaster areas where they hone their scent-detecting skills and look for targets that are hidden.


Once they detect a hidden object/person they bark and are rewarded with treats.


Image Source: Pexels/Jozef Fehér


Search dogs can cover an entire collapsed building in under 5 minutes.


While it may take firefighters 10 to 20 minutes to search the same location. Their speed and accuracy make them an invaluable asset. 


Sniffer dogs are also widely used in India. Recently a team of search dogs trained in the Remount Veterinary Corps Centre (RVC) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh were deployed during the Wayanad Landslides.


Organizations that use the help of search dogs in India are the: Army, Natural Disaster Response Force, and Fire and Emergency Services.


ALSO READ | Canine Heroes: How Police Dogs Saved Lives in 26/11 Siege

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