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."
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