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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Dogs trained to sniff out invasive species harbored on boats

Dogs can be trained to help with a wide range of services to humans. (Rich Landers / The Spokesman-Review)
Dogs can be trained to help with a wide range of services to humans. (Rich Landers / The Spokesman-Review)

INVASIVES -- Even though I've already written about dogs being used for a variety of useful purposes, such as for  search and rescue, for hunting and even for sniffing out wolf poop for research and management,  it's clear we're far from tapping all the possible uses for a dog's keen sense of smell.

Here's another way dogs are serving the public in the great outdoors:

Alberta uses mussel-sniffing dogs to keep invasive species out of its waters
Three dogs trained to help the province sniff out invasive species on watercraft already have found 11 boats harboring mussels that could have infested the region's waterways.
--Vancouver Sun

Conservation Canines will be making a presentation and demonstration on using dogs for these types of purposes on Thursday, Feb. 11, at Washington State University in Pullman.

The presentation will be held at noon at Animal Disease Biotechnology Facility which is the building attached to Bustad Hall at the corner of Grimes Way and Stadium Way

RSVP by Tuesday at http://goo.gl/forms/lP7KPqPaSm.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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