A Real Rescue Dog | National Guard Association of the United States

An energetic 5-calendar year-aged was the deal with of the Nationwide Guard’s reaction to the critical flash flooding that hit jap parts of the point out in late July.

Callie, a look for and rescue doggy belonging to the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Exclusive Ways Squadron, was amongst the hundreds of Guard soldiers and airmen from Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia concerned in the hard work to preserve life.

They used boats and helicopters to access people slice off by the speedy-rising floodwaters. Quite a few were being on rooftops or clinging to trees.

And when soldiers and airmen had problem locating another person, Callie’s effectively-skilled nose and ears were a actual support.

“Local, state and federal organizations all have lookup and rescue puppies, but what we provide to the table is the capability to get a pet, with its amazing abilities, to generally inaccessible destinations perhaps a lot quicker,” states Grasp Sgt. Rudy Parsons, a pararescueman in the squadron and Callie’s handler.

“Callie is in a position to travel by way of helicopter, boat, nonstandard motor vehicles, rope techniques and can even insert by way of parachute with her handler in get to provide a significant-stage ability to accelerate daily life-saving actions in cases where by minutes make any difference,” Parsons claims.

Despite the fact that Callie is experienced in “live-find’ detection” — searching for living or lacking men and women — “she also did a excellent work of telling us particular areas to examine a lot more extensively to get better fatalities, to assist deliver closure to those individuals’ households.”

In all, Callie served identify numerous people today, which led to their rescue. She also located the bodies of other individuals, which includes four little ones from 1 loved ones.

And as a photogenic Dutch Shepherd and the U.S. military’s only research and rescue canine, she also uncovered a whole lot of interest, each during the mission and the day that adopted.

Parsons and Callie did visitor appearances on numerous area Louisville, Kentucky, tv news reveals and even ABC’s Excellent Morning The us.

Other than emotional-aid animals, puppies are uncommon in the Guard. The only device with “working dogs” is the Connecticut Army Guard’s 928th Army Doing the job Puppy Detachment.

But Parsons states that Callie is just a further member of the unit. Her ability set carefully aligns with the 123rd STS, which performs battle management, pararescue and unique reconnaissance.

This canine goes everywhere with us and can do every thing we can do.

—Master Sgt. Rudy Parsons of the Kentucky Air Countrywide Guard’s 123rd Exclusive Practices Squadron

“This pet dog goes just about everywhere with us and can do every little thing we can do, which includes all our travel approaches like armed forces freefall and rotary-wing functions,” he says.

At approximately 50 pounds, Callie also has the slightness and agility that can help her rapidly and simply navigate limited areas like collapsed properties. Her very best asset, nonetheless, might be her nose.

For additional than 4 many years, the 123rd STS has applied Callie’s nose to improve its rescue capabilities.

“The research aspect of lookup and rescue is now amplified a hundredfold,” Parsons claims.

But Callie’s most amazing feat could possibly be making Protection Division history.

In July 2018, the 123rd STS proposed introducing a search and rescue pet by the Air Guard innovation program. Available to just about every unit, the software cash new innovations. It’s not an ATM equipment, nevertheless. A good circumstance has to be designed that the money is a great investment decision.

The 123rd finally received acceptance from Kentucky’s deputy adjutant normal-Air the commander of the 123rd Airlift Wing, the 123rd STS’s mum or dad device and Kentucky’s U.S. Residence and Fiscal Officer.

But introducing a search and rescue doggy to the unit necessary more than adopting a dog from the regional rescue shelter.

Struggling with dangers like tornados, the 123rd STS essential not only a canine with specific training, but also the fortitude to cope with heights and hard terrain as perfectly as prolonged long-distance vacation.

“This ere really do not require to be bullets flying for there to be threat,” states Chief Master Sgt. Karl Grugel, the 123rd STS’s senior enlisted leader.

In addition to the appropriate canine with the ideal teaching, the unit wanted the suitable handler. “I required a seasoned operator who did not have 6 kids at property,” Grugel suggests.

Parsons became a pararescueman about 15 many years ago, serving 6 decades in the Air Drive ahead of the Guard. Just before Callie, Parsons faced look for and rescue problems exactly where he could have utilised Callie’s capabilities.

Take 2016, when Parsons recovered 13 bodies from a C-130 Hercules armed service transport plane crash in Afghanistan. Locating the 11 Us residents killed in the incident took Parsons close to 36 several hours, a hunt he suggests Callie would have completed in under 3 hrs.

Enter the Penn Vet Doing the job Canine Heart in Philadelphia, which paired Callie and Parsons 5 months immediately after the 123rd STS pitched the initiative in 2018.

Pat Kaynaroglu, the center’s education manager, states Callie was a purely natural, keen to learn and normally delighted to seek get the job done. “She was like, ‘I’m so glad to be on a rubble pile,’” Kaynaroglu states.

The center trains pet dogs utilizing a rewards-primarily based technique commencing when the animals are puppies. They choose a toy that serves as their reward for ending duties like inspecting rubble fields. Callie selected a tug toy that nonetheless motivates her search and rescue endeavours now.

Kaynaroglu says the center teaches the animals to obtain their unique “paycheck” making use of sight and smell. Gradually, these workout routines entail discovering one particular or much more folks hiding everywhere you go from within barrels to driving trees.

They total agility, obedience and detection workouts just before obtaining handlers. At the time partnered, the pet dogs and trainers get ready to do the job professionally together.

Grugel estimates the 123rd STS put in about $60,000 procuring, training and equipping Callie.

The coaching, having said that, carries on. It has to, suggests Kaynaroglu, to hold equally dog and handler sharp. “When you have a search and rescue pet, the teaching never stops,” she clarifies.

Given that leaving the heart, Callie has joined some of the unit’s toughest missions, which include final summer months. The unit aided rescue 40 people today, but could not attain individuals four children in time.

Parsons claims Callie has helped him navigate these unpleasant moments. “Having her in my lifestyle has included a large amount of joy,” he admits. “She’s the only canine in the full DoD that goes home with her handler.”

Grugel guesses lookup and rescue puppies commonly do the job for about 7 a long time relying on health and chance factors.

“The other squadrons are form of viewing them,” he suggests of Parsons and Callie. “The workforce actually, definitely values her.”

The 123rd has now started producing Callie’s successor right before she retires, a calendar year-old Belgian Malinois named Pits.

“The hope is that this requires hold in pararescue in the Countrywide Guard,” Parsons states of the SAR canine application.

Grugel argues more Guard models will undertake very similar initiatives as soon as Callie specifically will save someone’s lifestyle for the initially time. “When that comes about — and it will materialize — everybody in the Guard is going to want this capacity,” Grugel claims.

The author can be reached at [email protected].

AT A Glance — CALLIE

Breed: Dutch Shepherd

Bodyweight: 50 lbs

Age: Five many years previous

12 months entered support: 2018

Decades of Teaching: Five

Diet program: Purina Pro Strategy Activity Blend (3¼ cups day by day) supplemented with probiotics, oils and glucosamine

Most loved Off-Responsibility Action: Shredding stuffed animals

Supply: 123rd Particular Strategies Squadron