About 100 miles north of Los Angeles, 19 wolf dogs from Alaska are learning how to walk and run, without being tethered to a post.

“They all have a little bit of a limp, walking up and down the hillside,” said Dr. Lorin Lindner, who runs the Lockwood Valley Animal Rescue Center. “They are walking on different terrains, walking on rocks. Their (paw) pads will stiffen up pretty quick though.”

The wolf dogs had been on display at an Anchorage-area roadside attraction, spinning in circles on their 10-foot-long chains.

Rumors swirled like snow drifts that the wolf dogs might have to be destroyed because of a criminal investigation into Wolf Park U.S.A., which charged $5 for visitors to walk alongside the animals and take pictures.

Alaska has severe restrictions on owning wolves, and the 19 captive wolf dogs’ fate was up in the air.

Wolf Park U.S.A. told CNN the wolf dogs were well treated and no laws were broken.

“Once we learned that there were 29 wolves in jeopardy, we knew we had to take action,’ said Lindner, who runs the animal sanctuary with her husband, Matt Simmons.

The couple raised money, including a generous donation from animal activist celebrity Bob Barker, and arranged for the wolf dogs to be transported to their sprawling Lockwood Valley complex a little more than two weeks ago.

Now the animals are finding their footing at the sanctuary, a system of wire holding pens accessible by dirt road in the Los Padres National Forest.

The dogs’ new home stands at 6,000 feet above sea level. It snows in winter.

“This truly is a great place for wolves to live, and it is where they used to live,” Lindner explains. “They inhabited these areas, this national forest, places that were far from humans.”

But Lindner says the wolves were hunted out of existence in these mountains.

The Alaskan wolf dogs live with other rescued hybrid wolves, and are cared for by several war veterans employed by the Lockwood Valley Animal Rescue Center.

Gregg Hill, who fired weapons at Iraqi targets from U.S. Navy vessels, stoops down between the pine trees and drab green brush and offers raw meat to one of the wolf dogs.

“It gives you inner peace,” Hill says. “You feel really good about what you are doing, knowing the situation these guys came from, and knowing that you are working with rescued animals and making their lives better. In turn it makes you feel better about your life and what you are doing.”

Lindner, a clinical psychologist, explains the rescued wolf dogs and the war veterans are both survivors. Working with animals is great therapy for warriors.

“We are finding veterans who, after working with animals, are reuniting with families,” Lindner said. “They are reintegrating into society. They are able to maintain and sustain employment.”

Though they are too wild to become pets, many have been spayed or neutered recently.

Lindner and Simmons sat and rubbed the winter-thick coat of Danny, a shy canine who walked with his tail between his legs.

“You have to get used to all these other wolves and you’re only a year and a half old,” Lindner tells Danny in a soft voice.

“Danny will probably never be a leader of the pack, an alpha male,” says Linder. “But he will be important, an omega wolf, one that watches over others. He will be a good uncle.”

Once the sun slid behind the low-slung mountains, one of the wolf dogs cocked his head back and howled.

“Here it comes,” said Simmons. “They will all join in. It’s sort of like a roll call.”

Within seconds, more than a dozen of the wolves could be heard serenading the remote valley with their howls.

And for their new caretakers, it was sort of an unchained melody, a song of celebration for the wolf dogs and their voyage from possible destruction in Alaska.

I’ve watched my brother-in-law lavish ribs, potato salad and even nachos on his beloved pooch with reckless abandon. Give my dog Lulu a banana, and she returns it in a far less pleasant form. That’s why I spend the holidays policing relatives as they walk their near-empty Thanksgiving plates to the kitchen.

They mean well, they really do. But depositing scraps of ham, uneaten bits of mac and cheese and other yummies into my dog’s bowl can do more holiday harm than good. While I appreciate the generosity, I don’t relish the tummy troubles or the gassy nights that typically follow.

“Pets get used to absorbing a certain amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein; [their diet] can be thrown out of balance during the holidays,” says pet nutritionist Dr. Martin Glinsky, who began manufacturing holistic pet food in the 1980s. “The most common symptom is some form of loose stool or diarrhea and — with my dog — bouts of nausea. She’s just not used to the rich food we feed ourselves.”

Unfortunately, overly generous relatives aren’t the only threat to a pet’s digestive system. Dogs and cats have a knack for finding and consuming things they should avoid, particularly when their people are preoccupied. The ASPCA’s poison control hotline (1-888-426-4435) handled 167,000 cases last year, says medical director Dr. Tina Wismer. Chocolate, a holiday staple, remains the No. 1 culprit. Pet insurance company VPI also notes a spike in claims related to chocolate poisoning during the holidays. The company’s infamous “Hambone Award” even pays tribute to pets and the quirky things they consume, such as the Labrador that ate a Thanksgiving turkey carcass or a golden retriever that consumed an artificial Christmas wreath. Perhaps my brother-in-law’s table scraps aren’t so bad in comparison.

But there are ways to help pets participate in holiday festivities without the risk of accidental injury or illness. Start by brushing up on basic obedience skills so that your pet will have tools to avoid temptation, says ASPCA trainer Kristen Collins.

“Training your dog to ‘leave it’ on cue can be really useful when you have lots of people and tempting foods around,” she says. “With lots of visitors, it’s also a great opportunity to teach your dog to greet people politely.”

Here are some tips to help dogs behave on a leash around houseguests. Collins suggests pet-friendly zones, complete with soft bedding, toys and chews.

“Pets become overwhelmed by people and sounds and smells during holidays,” Collins says. “It’s best to fix up a comfy confinement space for your pet.”

Of course, you also can be firm with guests who try to be a little too generous with the table scraps.

“Most guests are conscious of your relationship with your dog and will say, ‘Want me to save this?’” Glinsky says. “I have no problem saying, ‘Please don’t feed the dog. She’s on her own diet, and we don’t feed her table scraps.’ Your dog needs you for her well-being and she looks to you for that. You’ve got to do what’s necessary to provide her with that safety.”

Los Angeles — She’s helped Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, Oprah
Winfrey, and Jon Stewart build respectful, loving relationships with
their canine companions, and now everyone can learn celebrity dog
trainer Tamar Geller’s successful coaching techniques, thanks to a new
six-episode series of PETA videos, which the group will debut starting
October 19. In the videos, which will be released one per week for six
weeks, Geller teaches viewers about every dog’s seven basic needs as
well as about common training mistakes that people make, including
rushing dogs during their walks, yelling at them, using choke chains,
and crating.

“Dogs aren’t possessions,” says Geller. “They are living, breathing
beings with lots of feelings, and they are on this planet for far too
short a time. We invite them into our homes and our lives, so it’s our
responsibility to do our best to make every moment for them as happy
and as fulfilled as we can.”

Geller has won worldwide acclaim, thanks to her playful,
non-aggressive coaching techniques. Her “Loved Dog” method builds a
relationship based on games, clear communication, mutual respect, and
fun. “Let’s forget about obedience and build that amazing friendship
with your dog and simply teach him how to be well-mannered,” Geller
explains. Her new PETA videos steer dog guardians away from common
training techniques that actually harm dogs—such as yelling at them,
isolating them from much-needed socialization by crating them, and
causing pain and risking permanent damage to their necks by using
chains and prong collars. Geller even gives viewers tips on how to
find a good local trainer.

“Having a dog is one of the most joyful, enlivening experiences you
can have,” Geller concludes. “They will be your best friend. Be
theirs.”

For more information and to watch the videos, please visit PETA.org or
click here. Broadcast-quality footage is available upon request.
http://www.peta.org/features/dog-training-tips-from-tamar-geller.aspx

If your horse were stolen, became seriously ill, or worse, could you afford to replace the horse with another horse of equal value?

If your answer is no, a horse insurance service will help protect what you have invested in your horse. Horses can take decades of time and money to raise yet all of this work can be taken away quickly by a thief, illness, or by a injury to the horse or person riding it. Consider what happens if someone gets injured because of your horse. You might have to pay out tens of thousands of dollars for medical expenses, lost work, ect. Owning an expensive animal, does not always mean you can afford that kind of expense. With quality horse insurance you can feel safe that you will get through these difficult predicaments with piece of mind.

You can search Google for more information on horse insurance, or contact your local vet, or contact equine insurance for a quote for your horse insurance service needs.

Now-a-days walking dogs has become a part of our lives. It’s a great way to get out of the house, a little exercise, and to have fun with your pup. As more and more dogs become smaller by breed preference we are neglecting the training they need to follow walking rules. Obviously with big dogs without training they will rip your arm off, it’s the little dogs we just yank to get into line when we should focus more on these tips dog walking tips. More information on dog obedience training is available from your local dog training services or search Google for helpful tips.

Eliminate choke chains and prong collars.

I believe devices that cause a dog pain, such as choke chains and prong collars, do not belong in dog training. Using painful tactics only teaches a dog to be fearful of our causing her pain rather than strengthening our relationship. There are better and more effective ways to communicate with her. We want our dog to want to be with us by our side — because we give her clear boundaries as well as constant praise and reward for the desired behavior.

Instead, use a flat collar and follow my method to ensure a stress and pain-free way to teach your dog to walk with you, all the while creating a deeper bond between you.

Make walking by your side a positive experience.

Screaming “heel” or “no pull” at your dog does not work and is certainly not fun. Instead, randomly reward your dog with a yummie treat when he’s by your side as you reinforce his behavior with the word “close.” Don’t use the phrase “good dog” — because your dog has no idea what he did that was good, so how can he repeat it? Instead, acknowledge the behavior by naming and rewarding it.

Once your dog is consistently walking close to you, you can begin to give him “jackpots” — where you randomly reward him with a quick series of 5-6-7 treats, one after the other. He can always have “dinner on the go,” with you feeding him his treats along the way for walking correctly. You can also bring his favorite toy along and walk to the dog park: His reward for walking correctly, once you arrive, is that he gets to play with it and you!

Keep the same length of leash at all times.

To keep your dog from pulling on his leash, you must teach him that he only has a certain length of leash available and that you’re in control of it. It’s a mistake to use a retractable leash in the teaching phase, giving him a longer leash anytime he wants it. Save the retractable leash for the everyday phase of walking, once he has learned how to walk correctly by your side and not pull you down the street.

When you hold the leash with your hand, it’s easy for your dog to pull away by forcing you to extend your arm. It’s also important that both your hands are free, assisting you in planting your body when he’s pulling. So wear a sturdy belt, slip the loop end of the leash around it, and fasten it snugly around your waist.

As your dog walks correctly down the street with you, remember to repeat the word “walk,”reinforcing his behavior.

Hold your ground when your dog pulls on the leash.

When your dog begins to pull on her leash, stop, plant your feet, lower your center of gravity and hold your ground like a sumo wrestler. She must learn that the walk (what she wants) will only continue (her reward) if she is not pulling on her leash and on you. If your dog is a serious puller, start walking by a railing or fence that you can grab onto as you stop.

Resume walking only after your dog stops pulling on the leash.

As soon as she backs up — even a little bit — creating some slack on the leash, resume the walk with the phrase “let’s walk.” The minute she starts to pull on the leash again, you must hold your ground as before, continuing only once she backs up and creates slack on the leash.

Constantly talk to and praise your dog along the way.

This is a great way to keep him in tune with you and your pace. Just like a child, if you don’t pay attention to your dog, the message you give him is that he’s on his own and can do whatever he pleases. And when you ignore your dog as he’s walking correctly, and only give him attention when he’s walking incorrectly, he’ll be more prone to continue the unwanted behavior just so you’ll notice him! So stay focused on your dog during the walk and make calls on your cell phone at another time.

Most dogs respond very quickly to this method, and you will find that if you and everyone that walks your dog (don’t forget about the other family members and the dog walker) are consistent, you’ll soon look forward to the fun you’ll have on your walks together.

Sometimes the only humane thing to do is to put a dog to sleep. Just three weeks ago, Erica Daniel steeled herself to take that difficult step with Harper, a small puppy in her care.

Daniel, 26, fosters dogs that need serious help, and Harper had come to her in the most desperate of circumstances. On Aug. 31, a woman in Sanford, Fla., first encountered the little dog when she spotted a squirming garbage bag.

“There was a man outside the Save-A-Lot selling pit-bull puppies for $50 a pop,” Daniel explained. “This woman approached him and noticed a noise coming from a garbage bag he was holding. She asked him, ‘What’s in the bag?’ and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ”

The woman pressed the issue and the man opened — and gave her — the contents of the bag. Inside was a puppy so deformed that it couldn’t walk or hold up its head. Shelter workers and veterinarians grimaced when they saw the dog and came to the same conclusion: It really should be euthanized.

That’s when Daniel, a regular at the local animal shelter, stepped in. She decided to take the puppy home for one full and final day of unabashed affection. “I had to show her what it was like to be loved,” Daniel said. “I’d planned on taking her home that night, letting her sleep in bed with us, and having her humanely euthanized in the morning.”

What a difference a day can make. Today, Harper is not only alive — she’s thriving. The frisky gray puppy is gaining more and more mobility each day, to the astonishment of onlookers and medical professionals.

Harper’s rapid recovery began on that initial day with Daniel. The puppy had been born with a condition commonly dubbed “swimmer puppy disorder,” and most dogs afflicted with it don’t survive. The formal name of Harper’s disorder, pectus excavatum, causes puppies to lie flat on their chests with their legs perpetually splayed out, as if they were humans — or perhaps frogs — swimming through water.

“The longer she was like that, the more she stayed in that position,” Daniel said. “It felt like rigor mortis — like her legs might break.”

Despite that, Daniel kept massaging Harper’s tight muscles, hoping to alleviate at least some of her stiffness and pain. Within just a few hours, Harper started lifting her head and looking around. Her front legs became more limber as well, so much so that she tried using them to walk and pull herself around.

Daniel’s reaction: “WHOA.”

Convinced that this determined little dog needed a second opinion, she canceled the following morning’s appointment and made a new, hopeful one with a veterinarian at the University of Florida. At first, the vet described the reasons Harper probably would need to be put to sleep. The list included the likelihood of degenerative bone disease, brain abnormalities and a severe heart murmur.

They decided to do a few tests just to be sure. And, as it turned out, the rumors of Harper’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Her organs were functioning just fine, and she had no heart murmur or serious brain abnormalities. The medical conditions she did have required treatment — but nothing that warranted putting her to sleep.

Some nice people at Hip Dog Canine Hydrotherapy & Fitness in Winter Park, Fla., heard about Harper and donated free hydrotherapy and massage therapy to the puppy. Harper responded remarkably well, and before long she actually started walking.

“She started out on grass, then carpet, then concrete,” Daniel said. “She still can’t walk on tile or hardwood floors, but she’s getting there.”

Bev McCartt, a Hip Dog therapist, explained that swimming has helped teach Harper what her natural gait should be.

“Her brain kicked in and by the end of her first session, she was like, ‘Oh, I can do this,’ ” McCartt said. “She’s a walking miracle. She’s a real testament to a dog’s determination to get up and just go.”

Today, Harper is about 11 weeks old, and she’s holding her own playing with the seven other dogs at Daniel’s home. Daniel estimates that Harper should be ready to be adopted in about a month — that is, if she can handle parting with her.

“Right now we’re saying that eventually she’ll be available for adoption because we haven’t made any decisions,” Daniel said. “If I give her up, that will make it possible for me to foster another dog. But she’s like a baby to me. I just don’t know!”

This is not the first time Daniel has taken on an impossibly sad case and witnessed an incredible transformation. In April of last year, she began fostering Dolly, a pit bull that had been used as a bait dog in a dog-fighting ring. Dolly’s injuries were severe; her mouth was so swollen that she couldn’t eat. With careful attention and lots of love, Dolly recovered. Today she’s a happy girl and an American Kennel Club-certified “Canine Good Citizen.” (You can watch a YouTube video about Dolly here.)

Dolly’s saga prompted Daniel to establish Dolly’s Foundation on Jan. 1 of this year. The organization rescues and rehabilitates homeless, neglected and abused American Pit Bull Terriers and other bully breed dogs, and it has plenty of puppies and dogs available for adoption.

“They’re just dogs,” Daniel said of pit bulls, noting the breed’s negative image. “Dogs need love, and they need homes.”

That’s certainly proven true in Harper’s case.

“The whole world was against her, but she’s such a fighter,” Daniel said. “She’s a blessing. She’s awesome.”

Avoid common errors, and keep your four-legged pal healthy and well-behaved.

Mistake 1: Buying a pet spontaneously

Why this is a mistake: That doggie in the window may be darling, but he might not be the right fit for your family or lifestyle.

How to avoid it: Fully inform yourself before you bring home a pet. Every dog or cat has its own needs, some of which are specific to the breed. Terriers tend to dig; Abyssinians explore and climb. If there’s a breed that interests you, read up on it (try the website of the American Kennel Club or the Cat Fanciers Association, talk to owners, and get to know someone else’s Border collie or Persian.

That said, not every dog or cat is typical of its breed, so “ask about the pet’s history, health, and temperament,” says Stephanie Shain, a director at the Humane Society of the United States. When dealing with a breeder, you should be shown where the pet was raised and meet his parents.

Mistake 2: Skipping obedience training

Why this is a mistake: Bad habits can be difficult to train out of a pet. So unless you have the know-how to school an animal, you need the help of a pro.

How to avoid it: Even before a puppy starts formal training, teach him simple commands, such as sit and stay. A puppy can begin formal training at eight weeks (and ideally before 12 weeks), after he has had his shots.

“Between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks, puppies readily absorb information about the world around them,” says Andrea Arden, author of Dog-Friendly Training. To help a dog stick with good behaviors, every few years take him for a refresher course. (Find one in your area at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.)

Mistake 3: Being inconsistent with the rules

Why this is a mistake: If one child lets Fifi on the bed and another punishes her for it, the animal will be confused. Bad behavior is inevitable.

How to avoid it: Make sure everyone in your household knows — and follows –the rules, says Arden. “You want your dog to sit before eating a treat? You don’t want your kitten to pounce on your hands? Then figure out a system that will help your pet succeed.” Pets thrive with a sense of order, so discuss with your family when yours should be fed, exercised, and even given a treat.

Mistake 4: Dispensing too many free treats

Why this is a mistake: Treats lose their training value if your pet gets them for no reason.

How to avoid it: “Think of treats as currency given to a pet to reward good behavior,” says Marty Becker, a veterinarian and a coeditor of Petconnection.com. Assign each type of treat a value, and pay according to how well your pet behaves. Kibble is worth a dollar; a chicken strip, five; bologna, 10.

“But it’s important to not pay off the good behavior all the time,” Becker says. “That way, your dog will always hope he might get that piece of bologna, and he’ll eventually perform without seeing a treat.”

Mistake 5: Neglecting to socialize your pet

Why this is a mistake: Pets that aren’t exposed to a variety of animals and people at a very young age can develop fears and aggressive behavior.

How to avoid it: Introduce your pet to adults, kids, animals, and environments so he’ll take every novelty in stride. It’s optimal for a pet to start the process before you bring him home, since the critical socialization period is early in life.

“For a dog, it’s between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks. For cats, it’s between 2 and 8 weeks,” says Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, in North Grafton, Massachusetts. The breeder or the shelter’s adoption counselor can tell you how much socialization an animal has had.

Mistake 6: Skimping on exercise

Why this is a mistake: Pets have pent-up energy that needs to be unleashed through physical activity. Otherwise it will be channeled into barking, jumping, or even hostile behavior.

How to avoid it: “Walk your dog at least twice a day for a minimum of 30 minutes each time,” says Cesar Millan, host of The Dog Whisperer, on the National Geographic Channel. “To your dog, that’s a primal activity — birds fly, fish swim, and dogs walk.”

Pamela Reid, vice president of the ASPCA’s Animal-Behavior Center in Urbana, Illinois, recommends that dogs get at least 40 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. “Dogs need more exercise than people do,” says Reid. Try running or biking with your dog or playing fetch or Frisbee. With a cat, “you can’t take her jogging, but before and after work, give her 10 to 20 minutes of playtime,” says Reid.

Mistake 7: Neglecting to keep your pet mentally active

Why this is a mistake: Bored pets are more likely to get into trouble.

How to avoid it: Give your pets something to do. For a dog, that can mean having him hunt for food. Place a meal or treats in spots around the house for him to sniff out, or “feed him out of a food-dispensing puzzle toy instead of his bowl,” says Andrea Arden.

Keep a cat engaged with simple amusements, like a toy mouse dangling from a string. “You can stimulate your cat visually by placing a bird feeder outside a window, or setting a lava lamp on a shelf,” says Arden Moore, author of The Cat Behavior Answer Book.

Mistake 8: Leaving a pet alone for too long

Why this is a mistake: A lack of proper companionship can lead to separation anxiety and destructive behaviors.

How to avoid it: “Don’t leave a puppy alone for eight hours,” says Reid. Hire someone to watch him or drop him off at a doggie day-care center. Your puppy will need to learn how to be alone for a few hours each day, however, so “teach him to self-pacify almost immediately,” says Andrea Arden.

Put him in a crate (or leash him to a stable object) a foot or two away from you, then gradually increase the distance over the course of a week. Then make sure that he spends escalating amounts of time alone in his crate or confined to a room. Break up the day for dogs of any age with a visit from a dog walker or a neighbor, and give your pet access to toys and visual stimuli. Unlike puppies, kittens can be left alone, but they should have access to toys and visual stimuli.

Mistake 9: Failing to make your home pet-friendly

Why this is a mistake: A cat without a proper litter box will just use the carpet. A dog without a cozy bed will end up on the couch.

How to avoid it: Location is key with a litter box. “A cat doesn’t want to travel a long way to go to the bathroom any more than you do,” says Mieshelle Nagelschneider, a feline behaviorist and a consultant at the Cat Behavior Clinic, near Portland, Oregon.

Place litter boxes (one per cat, if you own a few, plus one box they can share, says Moore) in quiet areas throughout your home. Plug in a night-light beside each one so your cat can find it in the dark. Cats dislike strong odors (even air freshener), so use uncovered boxes and unscented litter and scoop out each box every day.

Dogs are far less persnickety about where they relieve themselves, but do them the favor of regularly picking up the poop in the backyard. Cats and dogs also need spots where they can cuddle up and feel safe. “A dog needs a crate like a teenager needs a room,” says Dodman. Provide a crate or a cozy bed, and make it taboo for your family to pester the dog while he’s in it. Cats naturally want to climb to an optimal vantage point, so set up a place where yours can look out a window.

Mistake 10: Punishing your pet

Why this is a mistake: You might think Chewie knows you’re screaming at him because he ate the loaf of bread on the counter, but he won’t connect your behavior with his action.

How to avoid it: Never physically punish your pet; he’ll just learn to fear you. It’s OK to startle a pet out of a behavior, but only if you catch him in the act. Command him with a firm “No!” or “Down!” and he’ll connect the reaction with what he’s doing and learn that it’s not OK.

Otherwise, the punishment should come from the environment. Teach a cat or a dog to stay off the counter, say, by arranging sheet pans in a pile that will clatter to the floor if he jumps up. The counter, not you, will become the thing to fear.

When disaster strikes and people are buried in rubble, there’s often no better search tool than a dog’s nose.

It’s a valuable asset that has already been utilized several times this year. Trained search dogs, along with their human handlers, have provided help in high-profile disasters such as the Japan earthquake in March and the Joplin, Missouri, tornado in May.

“After a disaster, there is a window of opportunity for finding live people,” said Wilma Melville, founder of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. “The first eight hours are critical.”

There are about 250 search-and-rescue teams, each made up of a dog and a handler, that are certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But Melville says that’s half as many as there should be.

“Approximately 500 teams, I feel, would cover the country well for the hurricanes on the East Coast, the great center of the country, which is bombarded and tormented with tornadoes, and the West Coast, which can definitely anticipate earthquakes,” she said. “We should have about 500 teams, highly trained, strategically placed, ready to reach a disaster site within 12 hours.”

Since 1996, Melville and her organization have been creating and training more of these teams. It starts by finding shelter dogs with the potential to become search dogs. Then it trains the dogs and pairs them with a firefighter or rescue worker who will live, train and work with them.

“The Search Dog Foundation is the only group in the nation that gives a highly trained, professionally trained dog, to a handler and then stays with that handler for the rest of the team’s life together,” said Melville, 77. “We provide health insurance for the dog. … We provide food for the dog. The big thing is, we provide ongoing training for that dog and handler.”

Melville’s nonprofit has also streamlined the training process so that it can be done in about a year rather than the three or four years it once used to take.

In all, the group has trained 131 teams around the country — for free. It has responded to 80 missions around the world, including Japan, Joplin, last year’s Haiti earthquake and the September 11 attacks in New York City. But it was a 1995 tragedy — the federal building bombing in Oklahoma City — that inspired Melville to create it.

She and her black lab, Murphy, had been training together for several years before they made the trip to Oklahoma City to help find victims. Melville had started the training as a hobby after retirement, and she and Murphy were FEMA-certified in 1994.

After arriving in Oklahoma City, Melville said, she was devastated by the scope of the tragedy, in which 168 people were killed. One survivor was found by a dog, she said.

Later, Melville was surprised and outraged to learn that there were only about 15 similar canine teams in the country.

“We are a huge nation, and this one building alone requires far more than 15 dogs that are highly trained,” Melville remembered thinking. “This nation is in a terrible situation. …

“I said: “Well, there’s only one thing to do. I either go back to my horseback riding in the hills, or I make a difference and find a better way to create canine disaster search teams for this nation.’ ”

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes

The Search Dog Foundation receives no federal or state money. Melville said it’s funded by grants, donations, awards and corporate support. About 90% of the dogs that it trains come from shelters.

Hundreds of dogs are tested each year for training, but only a small amount get selected. Even fewer make it through the training. The dogs must have drive, focus and high energy, Melville said.

Eric Gray’s dog, Riley, was a former shelter dog rejected by two foster homes because he was deemed too hyper to be a pet. But his search-and-rescue training “gave him a purpose,” Gray said, adding that Riley has become an important partner in his efforts as a firefighter.

“(Riley) was able to focus the incessant drive … that he had, and (he was given) an opportunity to really blossom as a dog rather than just being handed from home to home,” Gray said. The two recently helped with search-and-rescue efforts in Haiti and Japan.

Veteran handler Debra Tosch searched the World Trade Center with her dog, Abby, after the September 11 attacks.

“When I rounded that corner and was a little overwhelmed by the enormity of it, Abby had just the opposite effect,” Tosch said. “She started pulling on the leash, saying: ‘Great! We finally get to go to work. Let’s go.’ … She got very excited.”

Melville said search efforts are usually fun for the dog “because they don’t get a paycheck. They get a toy, and the toy is their reward.”

Even after winning several awards for her work, Melville believes she is far from done. Her foundation is building a national training center on 125 acres of Santa Paula hills between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

“In my heart, the number 168 is forever engraved,” she said. “I still want to train 168 canine disaster search teams — one for each of the persons who died in Oklahoma City. …

“Now, I see that it is possible — it’s even likely — within my lifetime. I wonder who number 168 will be.”

Want to get involved? Check out the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation website at www.searchdogfoundation.org and see how to help.

REPORTS of dolphins interacting with dead members of their pod are raising questions about whether cetaceans understand the concept of death. Bottlenose dolphins in western Greece have been seen reacting to death differently depending on whether a pod member has died suddenly or after a longer period of illness, New Scientist has learned.

Interpreting animal behaviour after the death of a companion is fraught with difficulty. Death is rarely observed in the wild, and it is easy to erroneously attribute human emotions to animals. Nevertheless, several species of intelligent, social animals, such as gorillas, chimpsMovie Camera and elephants can display particular behaviours when an animal dies – behaviours which some have interpreted as akin to mourning. Taken together with a growing number of reports of cetaceans interacting with dead animals and the discovery that they have specialised neurons linked to empathy and intuition, the Greek study suggests dolphins may have a complex – and even sophisticated – reaction to death.

Joan Gonzalvo of the Tethys Research Institute based in Milan, Italy, has been observing the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population in the Amvrakikos gulf since 2006. In July 2007, he and his team of Earthwatch Institute volunteers saw a mother interact with her dead newborn calf. She lifted the corpse above the surface, in an apparent attempt to get it to breathe (see photo). “This was repeated over and over again, sometimes frantically, during two days of observation,” says Gonzalvo. “The mother never separated from her calf.” The team heard her calling to it while she touched it with her snout and pectoral fins.

The newborn had a large bruise on its lower jaw, suggesting it may have been killed by another dolphin. “Infanticide has been reported in this species,” says Gonzalvo. Aware of the dangers of investing animal behaviour with human emotions, he nonetheless suggests the mother may have been mourning the sudden death: “[She] seemed unable to accept the death.”
Release from suffering?

One year later, Gonzalvo came across a pod surrounding a 2 to 3-month-old dolphin that was having difficulty swimming (see photo). It bore bleach marks, possibly from exposure to pesticide or heavy-metal pollution. “The group appeared stressed, swimming erratically,” he says. “Adults were trying to help the dying animal stay afloat, but it kept sinking.” It died about an hour later.

From his previous observation, Gonzalvo expected the mother to stay with the corpse. Instead, it was allowed to sink and the group immediately left the area. “My hypothesis is that the sick animal was kept company and given support, and when it died the group had done their job. In this case they had already assumed death would eventually come – they were prepared.” Gonzalvo accepts that his interpretation is speculative and based on limited data. He is gathering examples from other researchers before publishing his observations.

Ingrid Visser of the Orca Research Trust in Tutukaka, New Zealand, has seen bottlenose dolphins and orcas carrying dead infants in what she too interprets as grief. She acknowledges that the activity may simply be misdirected behaviour, and that the animals do not know that the calf is dead. “But we do know that cetaceans have von Economo neurons, which have been associated with grief in humans.” As a result, she speculates that the behaviours are a form of grief.
Death rites

Visser has seen similar things at pilot whale strandings. “When one died the others would stop when passing by, as if to acknowledge or confirm that it was dead. If we tried to get them to move past without stopping, they would fight to go back to the dead animal. I do not know if they understand death but they do certainly appear to grieve – based on their behaviours.”

Karen McComb of the University of Sussex, UK, who has studied how elephants act when they find elephant bones, says Gonzalvo’s observations bring to mind other intelligent, social mammals, but it is impossible to know what is going on in an animal’s mind.

“It is fascinating but out of our reach as scientists,” she says, adding that any inferences are necessarily speculative. “It’s great to accumulate examples though – as more are gathered a clearer picture emerges.”