For 30 years, the K9 Search and Rescue Team in Dolores has been helping find the lost, injured and deceased victims in the backcountry using a dog's strong sense of smell.
The all-volunteer organization covers a 12-state area from California to the Four Corners, and beyond, bringing canine expertise to disasters and search scenes.
During a media tour at the "Doghouse" headquarters, located next to the fire station, the K9 team explained their operations.
Since its inception in 1984, the team has gone on 431 missions, said K9 response director Chuck Melvin, who was there when it all began.
"When we started, we had five people. Now, we have 24 professional volunteers and trainers in our Colorado division," he said. "We have trained and deployed approximately 80 dogs over the years."
Man's best friend
Over the years, canines Trax, Atika, Trig, Axel, Stormy, Jake, Indy, Rado, Rex, Shiloh, Zeus and others have been tireless in the search for missing people.
Handlers give the canines instructions, and a navigator tracks its progress via GPS and computers. The search is all documented at a base camp set up with modern dispatch communications.
So-called "live finds" are the best, says lead navigator Randy Bouet, but often the result is more somber.
"Finding them alive are the big success stories. The dogs give the victim comfort through their tough ordeal, sometimes lying down with them," he said "Other times, it is a case of human remains. The dogs have the ability to sense a deceased body from one and a half miles away."
The dogs can be trained to sniff out the chemical odor of a missing meth user, or the distinct signature of a missing autism or Alzheimer patient.
Missing-person cases have decreased over the years because of the prevalence of cellphones and emergency-alert devices.
"Most of what we do is finding children and seniors. Many of our older victims have dementia or Alzheimer's," Melvin said.
Other times, the dogs find the injured, such as when a gold prospector with a broken leg was found in the mountains near Mancos by Trax.
During another search In New Mexico, the K9 team tracked down a 83 year-old Navajo man who was deaf and had become lost collecting piñon nuts.
The man was OK, and would have seen a canine wearing a orange jacket and a GPS unit approach, then return to its trainers, known as the "recall." The dog then leads the navigators back to the person, called the "re-find."
Often a K9 search dog can solve cases humans can't.
A few years ago, a man went missing west of Shiprock, N.M., along the San Juan River. Searchers failed to find the man after three days, so the Dolores K9 group was brought in.
"It was a real team effort. We took their search maps and then deployed to where they had not been and our canine Axel found the body," Melvin said. "Finding the deceased in emotionally tough, but it provides closure for the family."
K9 was involved in a search last summer for a hiker in Mesa Verde National Park who was never found. Melvin hopes to organize a follow-up search using Quiddity.
Over the years, hundreds of dogs started the training but didn't make the cut. For every 40 dogs that begin the program, only one gets the job after 600 hours of training, aptitude tests and lots of field practice, said Melvin.
"The ones who graduate are in top physical condition and can cover 20 miles tracking all day," he said. "We monitor where they have been on the computer, and equally important, where they have not been yet."
The Dolores K9 unit currently has eight dogs in training and one certified for search and rescue. Quiddity, an energetic, 1-year-old Dutch shepherd, has passed all the rigorous testing and is participating in missions.
"For her young age, she did exceptionally well," said Vanessa Malloy.
The greatest need for the group are volunteers willing to be search targets during training.
"We do not use our own people, because that could cause confusion during an actual search," Melvin said. "For a volunteer, it means hiding in the same spot in the outdoors for hours at a time."
Through grant funding and construction donations, and concession revenues, the organization built a base facility in Dolores for $68,000. The land is provided by Dolores Fire Protection District.
K9 Search and Rescue also has a medical-rescue vehicle and a K9-specific trailer with air-conditioning and a communications bay.
Training for the future
The group is dedicated to training the next generation to take over K9 Search and Rescue, in part because the average age of volunteers is 54. The group has recruited several young adults to learn different aspects of the trade.
"It's fun working with dogs, and I'm learning a lot about being a navigator," said cadet Nate Todd. "What better thing to do than go help find missing people."
Cadet Christine Archer hopes to become a dog handler.
"Now I'm learning the navigator skills, like how to read maps and use a compass," she said. "I thought it would be pretty hard, but it's fun."
Added junior cadet Kamden Malloy, "It takes a lot of practice before a rescue. The training is fun, and you learn a lot about setting up camp, working the radios, and being prepared to work outdoors in different conditions."
The dogs work with other public agencies, but do not chase criminals, Melvin said. For example, they can be dispatched to a post-fire scene to determine whether thereare human casualties.
There are fewer canine search-and-rescue operations regionally, Melvin said.
"It is not easy to do, but we have proved ourselves as effective and are always prepared for our next mission," he said. "We could not do this without the generous community support."
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
