searching for hope

Max doesn’t look much like a hero. The 8-year-old border collie/blue heeler mix curled up under Robyn Moug’s desk at U.S. HealthWorks in north Spokane, closed his brown eyes and prepared to nap.

But Max is a search and rescue dog, certified in both cadaver and live search, and he and Moug were a valuable, if not heroic, part of rescue efforts during last year’s mudslide near Oso, Washington.

Sunday marks the first anniversary of the cataclysmic event that killed 43 people and devastated the tiny town 60 miles north of Seattle. The dead ranged in age from 4 months to 91.

The slide sent 18 million tons of earth barreling down a hillside at about 60 miles per hour. It engulfed three dozen homes, clogged up the Stillaguamish River and blocked State Route 530.

Max and Moug are members of Intermountain Search Dogs, and when they got the call to help, they were ready. Moug, a physical therapist at U.S. HealthWorks, had a full schedule of clients to see, but coworkers pitched in to cover their care.

“Our team drove all night,” she said.

When they arrived, the sight of the devastation took her breath away. Acres of mud, fallen trees and debris cluttered the landscape.

“I’ll never forget it,” Moug said. “You feel so small and insignificant standing in that vast plain of nothingness.”

But there was work to be done and Max was more than ready.

He and Moug searched for both survivors and victims throughout the day and for the following two days. Moug said, “Several times they (rescue coordinators) said, ‘Without the dogs we have nothing.’ ”

Max sniffed his way through huge piles of rubbish and mud. “Dogs have an amazing sense of smell,” Moug said.

The knowledge that she and Max were doing vital work kept her going through miserable and often emotionally wrenching conditions. “You’re walking across people’s lives,” she said, recounting the sight of scattered children’s toys and shattered family photos.

Equally horrific was the stench. Sewage, gasoline and the rotting contents of broken refrigerators and freezers created an overpowering odor. Still the dogs and their handlers persevered.

“We were literally in mud up to our waists,” Moug said. “We had to duct tape our rain pants to seal them so the slimy gunk wouldn’t seep in.”

The rescue dogs didn’t have it any easier. “I was so proud of Max. He’s a phenomenal dog.”

Several of the dogs from California suffered hypothermia due to the frigid water and mud. Moug said Max’s coat was dull and dry for months. But he performed admirably. Not bad for a pup picked out of a “free” box outside Big R.

Max is Moug’s first search and rescue dog. A friend who was part of Intermountain Search Dogs encouraged Moug to bring Max to a training session when he was a puppy. She did and was immediately hooked.

Stroking Max’s ears she said, “I think he was meant to do this.”

They regularly work with law enforcement, even flying to other states to help with missing person searches or cold cases.

Max has different signals for live finds and cadaver discoveries. “If it’s a live person, he jumps up on me when he finds the scent. It’s like ‘C’mon man!’ ” Moug said. “If it’s human remains he stays motionless with his nose pointing toward the find.”

Because of the dog’s extraordinary nose, they’ve gone on more cadaver searches than anything else. Moug doesn’t find the work gruesome. “It’s incredible to work with a dog to be able to bring closure to these families.”

She said good search dogs are not breed specific, they can be anything from herding dogs to hunting dogs. “It takes a certain drive and focus to be a search dog and a lot of training.”

Indeed, her team trains 25-30 hours a month and she and Max are currently working on his water search certification. “He loves to work. He has so much joy.”

To mark the anniversary of the mudslide, many involved in the search and rescue operation will gather in Oso. Moug and Max will not. That’s not to say the disaster is ever very far from her thoughts.

“When you witness devastation like that, it changes you. You have a deeper understanding of what a tragedy this was.”