February 2 - Service Dogs

In past posts I have sometimes written about service dogs – guide dogs for people who are visually impaired, hearing impaired or mobility challenged. Dogs, amazing creatures that they are, provide a variety of services to the human population.

The other day I was fortunate enough to meet Kida. Kida is a certified search and rescue dog. Our meeting was by chance. Kida and her handler were walking around the same indoor complex where Lyle and I often walk on wintry days. As I approached Kida and Jasmin, I noted that the little bells on Kida’s collar had stopped jingling and when I got really close, I could see that Kida had stopped to allow me to pass by. I was very impressed with this obedience training.

When I stopped to chat, Jasmin told me that the blue vest that Kida was wearing identified her as a “Search” dog. She was a cadaver dog, especially trained to find human remains. That day was part of her training. Although there weren’t any bodies to be found, Jasmin had hidden a blood stained tissue in one of the nearly 300 horse stalls where we were walking. Jasmin told me not to be startled when I heard Kida barking. That would simply mean that she had found the hidden clue. Indeed, this is what happened only a few more minutes after we had spoken.

Kida was a beautiful and fairly large German Shepard. Her normal walking gait was graceful but on her mission to find the hidden tissue she ran at speed. Jasmin said that this was the reason for the jingling bells. If Kida was on a hunt in the bush, her search could take her out of sight. The bells helped Jasmin find her again and also of course, locate her quarry.

Kida and Jasmin are part of the Search and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta (SARDA). Jasmin said that she thought there might be about 25 dogs and handlers in the Edmonton group. The members are volunteers and don’t undertake private requests for search and rescue quests. They work under the direction of law enforcement and other official agencies. However, SARDA is a charitable organization and you can donate to them for tax receipts.

Meeting Kida and Jasmin was a pleasant and informative interlude in an otherwise repetitive walking routine. Although Kida doesn’t only work with an individual on a daily basis as do other more well known service dogs, her training is constant. Kida and Jasmin provide a valuable service to communities in crisis.