Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 2016)
Polk County News Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 9, 2016 5A A nose for search and rescue By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The human half of canine search pairs may be called “handlers,” but really, the job is all about teamwork. Eric Ronemus and his dog, Abby, provided a good example on Oct. 29 during a “human remains detection,” evaluation, part of a three- day clinic held in Dallas by Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States. “If I stay out of her way, she does great,” he said. Ronemus and Abby spent part of late morning and af- ternoon at the Polk County shops in Dallas searching for samples of human remains with some containing as lit- tle as one ounce. Abby, with encourage- ment and guidance from Ronemus, performed well. She only missed one portion of the test and wasn’t fooled when evaluators had her search an area with nothing to find. Before the test began, Ronemus was given the gen- eral area where remains were hidden — or not, as the case may be. He and Abby were left to do the rest. Abby, as one evaluator said, often worked in “text- book fashion.” She would happily jog with her tail in the air in the direction Rone- mus lead her until she caught a hint of something. She would sniff it and make a wider circle just to make JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Jillian McIntosh, of Madras, works with her dog, Hunter, on Oct. 29, testing his human remains detection skills. sure she had the location correct. When she was sure, she would bark and run to Ronemus. “Show me,” he said. Abby would make a bee- line to the location and bark again, for which Ronemus would reward her with a short game of fetch. Then it’s on to the next test. Ronemus and Abby work with Jackson County Search and Rescue. He decided to test Abby, 4, on SARDUS na- tional standards for the sec- ond time at the Dallas clinic. Her first attempt two years ago didn’t go as smoothly as the Oct. 29 test. He said a good working dog and human pair has trust and teamwork “be- tween their noses and our brains.” Under his search and res- cue uniform, Ronemus wore a T-shirt with the words “trust your dog” — printed upside down so he could read it. He did, and he rewarded his tired puppy with a much-needed drink of water after a job well-done. “She earned her drink,” he said as Abby relaxed in the back of his truck. Ann Wichmann, a SAR- DUS board member and co- founder, said the job of the handler is to help dogs be more “effective and effi- cient.” Handlers can evalu- ate wind patterns and other conditions to put their dogs in the best position to do their job — then they can let them work. She said dogs have an ex- traordinary willingness to serve their human compan- ions and that, along with natural gifts, make them well-suited for search and rescue. JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Eric Ronemus follows his dog, Abby, as she searches for human remains hidden at the Polk County shops on Oct. 29, part of a Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States clinic. “They are very fun and very inspiring to work with,” she said. SARDUS, in conjunction with Region 3 K-9 Search and Rescue, also conducted evaluations on “trailing,” fol- lowing scent trails, and “w i l d e r n e s s a i r s c e n t” searches, where the dog tries to locate people in a certain area, during the clinic held Oct. 27-29. Eleven teams from Oregon, Washington and California participated. Mark Cooperider, a mem- ber of Polk County’s Search and Rescue Team who helped organize the clinic, said these tests establish a standard for performance for teams. “Local teams will test and certify to a national standard, which helps ensure consis- tency in the skill levels across canine teams,” he said. JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Abby, 4, happily jogs around the Polk County shops during a test of her searching skills. She performed well at the clinic, the second time she’s gone through the testing. Grieving? Know someone who is? “I have not retired.” — Clara Nimmo, Owner 223 Birchwood Dr., Dallas Behind the bowling alley, 3rd house on right, white picket fence. Hours: 8-5 T/W/Th and 8-5:30 Fri 825 SW Mill St., Dallas Sat. Dec. 3rd 9:00am - 2pm • Alterations • Dress Making • Tailoring • Repairs When you are grieving a loved one’s death, the holiday season can be especially painful. Our Surviving the Holidays seminar helps participants prepare for the holidays and even discover hope for the future. Tuesday, November 15 • 6:30 - 8:30 pm $5 Registration includes workbook. Dolls, Toys, Miniatures & Related Items Call today for more information 503-917-1625 1156 SE Holman, Dallas By Oregon Creative Doll Club, UFDC Sponsored by Cross & Crown Ministries Saturday, Nov. 12th, 2016 • 10 am - 3 pm Benton County Fairgrounds 110 SW 53rd St, Corvallis, OR 97330 Admission $6 • Children 10 yrs & under FREE Bring this ad for $1 discount on admission! Doll stringing available. For more info & table reservations email: lr.jl.kilgore@gmail.com or Valerie@peak.org Directions from I-5: Take exit 228W to Corvallis on Hwy 34 which becomes Harrison St. in Corvallis. Continue on Harrison St, turning left on 53rd St. Fairgrounds are 1/4 mile south on right. St. Philip Catholic Church Annual Holiday Bazaar Willamina Coastal Hills Art Tour Downtown Walking Tour Kicking Off the Holidays! Nov. 11 & 12 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Over 30 Artisans! Artists & Crafters Coastal Hills Quilters Watercolor and Oil Paintings Ceramics Photography Jewelry Wearable Art Wood Work Tea Room Hay Rides Free horse-drawn wagon shuttle. Maps available at each nine locations. 503-435-9180 • Free admission FREE Admission •Crafted Holiday Gifts & Decorations •Homemade: Holiday Cookies, Breads and Candies •Swags • Centerpieces • Poinsettias • Wreaths Soup & Pie Luncheon served All Day Raffle & Silent Auction: Tickets $2.00 each Prizes include: Coast Trip for 2; $300 Gift Card; and other cash prizes. Proceeds benefit educational scholarships, community projects & charitable parish activities. For more info, Janet 503-623-5693
