When Disaster Hits, Dogs Come To The Rescue
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2023
⏱️ 14 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Outbreaks of tornadoes leveled entire neighborhoods.
Flooding trapped people in their homes.
Wildfires burned out of control.
When people go missing during these catastrophes, it's a race against time to find them alive – or their remains.
That crucial search is often carried out by specially trained dogs.
FEMA has 280 certified detection dogs trained to find people in disasters. Another 80 dogs are trained to search for human remains.
NPR's Scott Detrow visits a Maryland training facility where dogs, and their handlers, learn skills that could save lives.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | When disasters strike, in Texas at least eight deaths are blamed on the unforgiving |
| 0:12.1 | ice storm. |
| 0:13.0 | Today the governor of Mexico says the death toll climbed to 43 after |
| 0:16.7 | we are going to begin with the news and the news this morning is not good in Vermont. |
| 0:19.6 | A disaster there are several earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, death toll from the wildfires in Hawaii has risen to 93 |
| 0:27.2 | When people go missing during these catastrophes the clock starts ticking to find them or find their remains. |
| 0:34.0 | It's a critical job and it's done by man's best friend. Out, good boy. |
| 0:45.0 | Around the country, FEMA has about 280 certified detection dogs trained to find people in disasters. Another 80 dogs |
| 0:55.1 | search for human remains. We're looking for dogs that can do the work and it doesn't |
| 1:01.2 | matter what their breed is as long as they have that high drive |
| 1:04.4 | friendly to humans, friendly to other dogs, they have that toy drive, they have agility, |
| 1:08.8 | they have the confidence to go in and work independently if they need to. |
| 1:13.0 | Victoria Ledwell works as a canine coordinator and a dog handler for FEMA's |
| 1:17.2 | Urban Search and Rescue Squad in Maryland. |
| 1:19.8 | For me, I've always always loved dogs. |
| 1:22.0 | With a retired firefighter, she's used to responding to emergencies. |
| 1:25.6 | I got partnered with my first dog, Fonzie. |
| 1:28.3 | It was a yellow lab and had a great career with Fonzie, |
| 1:31.6 | and now I'm working Pasquale. |
| 1:33.6 | Leadwell and her dog Pasquale were deployed to Puerto Rico after Hurricane |
| 1:37.2 | Fionna and later to South Florida after Hurricane Ian. |
| 1:40.8 | Over the summer, Leadwell went to Hawaii. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.