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Lassie

Real-life Lassies to the rescue

Mountain rescue teams are using family pets to help save lives, finds John Young

    High on the slopes of Glen Etive, in    
 the Scottish Highlands, a distant figure 
 in a bright yellow jacket moves across 
 the foot of a sheer rockface. Below him, 
5 leaping and weaving from side to side, 
 harder to spot against the background 
 of boulders and heather, is a dog in 
 search of the scent from another human 
 hidden somewhere on the hillside. 
10    Policeman Kenny Lindsay 
 and Shadow, an 18-month-old German 
 shepherd, are taking part in the annual 
 trials of the Highland section of the60 ago, he points out.
 Search and Rescue Dog Association    ‘For rescue work you have to look
15 (SARDA). The 18 the trials is to for a dog with plenty of stamina, they
 assess whether dogs have been trained shouldn’t quit if the going gets rough,’
 by their handlers to the level of skills Mark Shewry, one of the association’s
 required to be part of a mountain65 members, points out. ‘The most
 rescue team. popular breeds are collies, German
20    On the road below, Les Silkowski is shepherds and Labradors. They must
 sitting in his car with Tango, a twoyear- also have a playful temperament. If
 old Belgian shepherd-Border they don’t enjoy playing games, they
 collie cross, awaiting their turn on the70 can’t be trained.’
 hill. If Tango does his stuff, by locating    ‘Dogs do have their limitations,’ he
25 two volunteers acting as ‘casualties’ concedes. ‘You obviously can’t use
 who have supposedly lost their way or them on steep rock faces where they
 injured themselves in the mountains, would be fighting for their own
 he will graduate from novice to fully75 survival. ‘They’re not so good in
 fledged rescue dog. Although, like forests, or in very hot weather when
30 Lindsay, Silkowski happens to be a there’s no wind to allow them to pick
 policeman, he is anxious to point out up the scent. But in the right
 that Tango is not a police dog but his conditions on open ground they are
 own domestic pet. The same goes for80 incomparable. They’re brilliant at
 all the dogs owned by members of night, because they’re not relying on
35 SARDA, most of whom are civilian sight to find their quarry. Humans
 volunteers, men and women who know can’t work then.’
 the mountains and their hazards, and    On the Sunday morning, a
 who are prepared to be called out at all85 helicopter arrives to practise winching
 hours - and in any weather - to save the dogs to the ground and back up
40 lives. again. When in action, all the dogs
    Some 15 years ago, Alwyn Jones, wear harnesses that also allow them to
 honorary secretary of SARDA’s carry lights at night and, equally
 Highland section, was taking part in a90 importantly, let them know that they
 search for a missing climber. ‘We were are on duty. ‘As soon as they see the
45 using the traditional method, about 15 harness, they think ‘Ah, we’re playing
 of us strung out in a line combing the this game, are we? We know what this
 hillside back and forth. Then suddenly is all about,’ Jones says. ‘But I also
 we saw this dog that found the person95 think they can tell the difference
 in less than half an hour. I thought, between an exercise, like this weekend,
50 blow me, this is the way to do it, and the real thing. The adrenalin is
 instead of tramping up and down with different.’
 a heavy pack on your back.’    Happily, ‘the real thing’ does not
    Jones rejects the idea that most of100 occur too often. For most of the year
 the demands on the rescue services these dogs live lives no different from
55 arise from foolhardiness. Even any ordinary family pets. But, like their
 experienced mountaineers can get into human owners, when the call comes
 trouble, and most walkers and they are trained and able to respond
 climbers are far more knowledgeable105 to it.
 and better equipped than a generation The Times Weekend