SAN ANTONIO – Have you ever wondered how much stronger a dog’s sense of smell is compared to a human?
Well, the answer is why the Alamo Area Search and Rescue team uses dogs to help find missing people.
“A human has maybe 400 scent receptors where a dog has 300 million,” Cassie Gemes, the team’s secretary, said.
Over the last year, we’ve covered dozens of missing persons cases. One of the most recent is 28-year-old Mariadelis Labrador Siles. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said investigators were able to find her body with the help of one nonprofit, AASAR.
KSAT reporter Avery Everett met up with them on Friday to see the capability of canines in similar cases.
“All of our volunteers spend countless hours every week training for the sole purpose of helping families get their missing loved ones home,” Karen Prendergast, AASAR’s vice president and medical liaison, said.
AASAR has 40 humans and 20 dogs on its team. It’s a completely volunteer organization. The team formally became a nonprofit in 2008.
AASAR responds to requests from law enforcement agencies, fire departments and emergency management agencies.
“How busy are you all?” Everett asked.
“Well, we get pretty regular call-outs,” Lee Wingert, the public information officer for the team, said. “On a live find search, the sooner we’re contacted, the better.”
This search team has three types of trained dogs:
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Human remains: Dogs trained to specifically find human remains, throughout various stages of decomposition
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Live alert: Dogs trained to identify any human in a certain area
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Trailing: Dogs trained to find a specific human off scent
“What does training look like?” Everett asked.
“It’s a huge commitment,” Gemes said. “It takes a lot of hours, commitment and energy not only on the dog but also on the handler.”
“How long does scent typically stay for?” Everett asked.
“Depending upon the situation, the good rule of thumb is 48 hours,” Gemes said. “The quicker that a person will report their loved one to law enforcement as missing, the quicker law enforcement could request our services and get us within that 48-hour time frame.”
AASAR is not accepting any new members at this time, but the organization does accept donations. To support the volunteers and their four-legged companions, click here.
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