When devastating earthquakes hit Haiti, Japan andNepal, rescue dogs were among the first to arrive.
American search-and-rescue teams and their speciallytrained dogs also helped during U.S. hurricanes Katrinaand Sandy.
Ron Sanders and his 6-year old Labarador, Pryse,were part of a U.S. team to help find survivors in Nepal.
Sanders, a retired firefighter, says Pryse and the otherspecial canines, are essential to the team.
“The dogs obviously have a wonderful sense of smell. So they can quicklydetermine where the scent is coming from and hone in that location that weneed to dig down.”
The dogs can also navigate quickly through collapsed buildings and squeezethrough tight spots to find victims.
For the dogs, the job is a fun and playful adventure. “They want to go find thatperson, to play with that person."
But becoming a rescue dog is serious business. To become certified, thedogs train long and hard for six to 12 months.
What helps them get there is lots of practice.
They train in Virginia. A former prison has been made to look like a disastersite.
The dogs learn to follow hand signals and voice commands while runningon narrow planks of wood. They go up and down ladders, walk over roughterrain, and search in the rubble for survivors.
Finding one, which they almost always do, is the ultimate reward.