Scent of the Missing is a dear memoir. Charleson is grieving from her divorce and figuring out what her new life will look like. She finds two things - flying airplanes and search and rescue. Always a dog lover, working with search and rescue dogs is an easy fit.
It was pretty shocking to me to learn that search and rescue dogs and their handlers are an entirely volunteer organization. These people are not paid for their time or personal costs to train the dogs or perform actual SAR. I was also amazed at how much of a time investment it was. Charleson spent 3 years as a assistant handler before she was invited to train a dog. Then 1 year looking for the right dog, Puzzle, And finally 2 years to train Puzzle to be certified to search for missing people. Searching for cadavers as well takes additional training. They may be volunteer, but the organization is certainly professional.
It was pretty shocking to me to learn that search and rescue dogs and their handlers are an entirely volunteer organization. These people are not paid for their time or personal costs to train the dogs or perform actual SAR. I was also amazed at how much of a time investment it was. Charleson spent 3 years as a assistant handler before she was invited to train a dog. Then 1 year looking for the right dog, Puzzle, And finally 2 years to train Puzzle to be certified to search for missing people. Searching for cadavers as well takes additional training. They may be volunteer, but the organization is certainly professional.
I have a dog, Sebastian or SD, who is a big part of my life, so this book was an easy pitch for me. The stories about Puzzle and her integration into the pack of Pomeranians were delightful. The descriptions of the training program were fascinating. Dogs noses really are incredible tools. And the stories of actual search and rescue activities were inspiring.
Long Story Short: An inspirational and engrossing read.
RSS Feed