WASHINGTON - The Humane Society of the United States is
kicking-off its Disaster Dog Program with a mock indoor and
outdoor search demonstration by Robert Sessions and his dogs
Sky and Thunder at 12:45 on November 19 at The HSUS.
Mr. Sessions is the first recipient of HSUS Disaster Dog
sponsorship. He is an accomplished canine handler and assistant
search manager for the Maryland Urban Search and Rescue Task
Force-1. He and his black Labrador teammates Sky and Thunder
were on the first team sent to the Pentagon on September 11,
2001.
The September 11 tragedies have demonstrated the important
role urban search and rescue (USAR) dogs and their handlers
play in responding to disasters. These dogs are trained to work
with their handlers, using instinctual behavior and natural
scenting abilities to recover survivors or find bodies in
conditions that make other methods impossible.
September 11 has also shown the need for more USAR canine
teams. FEMA deployed about 100 canine teams to the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon, stretching their resources to the
limit. These experiences have demonstrated the need for
increasing the number of highly trained teams to avoid overuse
and injury of the members of existing teams.
"Most of these Disaster Dog teams are volunteers," explains
Anne Culver, director of disaster services for The HSUS. "FEMA
requires extensive training and certification to work as part
of its National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. FEMA
pays the volunteers' expenses when they are deployed, but many
expenses, such as the cost of training, exercises, and travel,
are frequently not covered The handlers give of their own time
and money to train themselves and their dogs, demonstrating the
power of the human-animal bond in service to the good of
society. Training to high standards takes time and can be
expensive for the individual volunteer. That's why The Humane
Society of the United States wants to help."
The HSUS Disaster Dog Program will support Disaster Dog
teams by:
· Sponsoring advanced level teams as well as basic level and
new teams
· Supporting mentorship programs to assist training of less
experienced handlers
· Funding for agility training sites and additional training
facilities
· Increasing public awareness of the skills and functions of
Disaster Dogs and their handlers
