Sable and Scott Reynolds at work. Photo: Robert Domm
We've all heard about dogs who can locate drugs and explosives with their powerful noses, but one German shepherd mix has a stinkier job -- sniffing out raw sewage and other illegal discharge.
For the past two years, Sable has been working with the Michigan environmental consulting firm TetraTech, helping them locate raw sewage and detergents leaking into storm-water systems from damaged pipes and illegal connections. "As far as we know, Sable is the first dog in the wold that's doing it," Scott Reynolds, Sable's owner and trainer, told Paw Nation.
Consultants at TetraTech initially came up with the idea and approached Reynolds, a local dog trainer with extensive experience training dogs in skills like narcotics detection and search-and-rescue. He then adopted Sable from a shelter and trained him for six months.
Sable's job starts when someone notices that water quality has gone downhill, and an investigation is launched, Reynolds told Paw Nation. At that point, Sable sniffs out the pipes, sewers, and storm drains. He's helped to hone in on faulty septic tanks and botched pipe connections.
Leaking sewage and detergents are a threat to the environment and to human health, Reynolds said, and "the homeowners often aren't aware of it."
Employing Sable can cost $5,000 to $10,000 per week, compared to as much as $100,000 using more traditional tests, reports Scientific American. According to the publication, finding illegal sewage discharge using traditional methods means that water samples must be taken at every pipe connection and sent to the lab for analysis. That means thousands of samples, and weeks of waiting for lab results.
Sable acts as a "rapid screening method" for surveying a broad area and nosing in on the source of the discharge, Reynolds said. "We can use the dog to get us really close, and then do some sampling to confirm that we have it. Instead of having to investigate 500 houses, you might only have to do 10 or 15."
Sable's sniffing skills are now in high demand. Reynolds and his wife have founded a new company, Environmental Canine Services to deal with the demand. This fall, Reynolds and Sable will travel to Maine to locate illicit discharge contaminating beaches and shellfish beds. He's also expanding his team. "We're training two other dogs for the same purpose with hopes of being able to expand the program," he informed Paw Nation.
Sable's job may stink, but he's got a great life. "His reward that he loves more than anything is his big squeaky tennis ball," which he gets to chase after every job, Reynolds said. "He's part of my family. He's a big snuggler."
Reynolds predicts we'll be borrowing canines' superb sense of smell more and more. "I think this is really just the tip of the iceberg. We'll be able to add additional contaminants to their toolbox and expand their skill set," he explained.
"The fact that these are rescue dogs and shelter dogs is great, because it gives them a job and a home and a chance to provide for the community," Reynolds added. "I think it's amazing."
So do we!
Check out our gallery of other animals with strong noses.
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I have a 6 year old shepard trained for live find wilderness search and rescue.... I firmley support the use od dogs for drug detection, and search and rescue..... Now another use for a working dog.....
GOOD JOB !!!!!
This is a great idea using a dogs nose to find raw seuage and chemicals. There are sneaky people out there dumping whee they shouldn't and the law has to get sneaky to catch them.
Georgous GD. Got to love them
cool!!
good story, good dog :)