Alaska pooch brings help

Buddy the German shepherd is a hero.

So says the Alaska State Troopers.

Read the story from the Anchorage Daily News by James Halpin.

Buddy's owner Ben Heinrichs was working in a shop outside his home April 4. A spark from a heater ignited gasoline burning him.

As Heinrichs rolled in the snow to put the flames out he realized Buddy had been locked in the shop which was on fire.

He let Buddy out and the 5-year-old dog took off, at the urging of Heinrich, to get help.

Watch the incredible video footage of Buddy leading a state trooper who was having problems with his GPS device to the scene.

Good boy, Buddy.

Out-of-work search dog

Ares the German shepherd needs a job.

His owner Dale Lawyer is a paramedic/engineer with Central Emergency Services in Alaska. Ares, a trained search-and-rescue dog, was laid off when CES's budget was cut during union negotiations.

Read the story in the Homer (Alaska) Tribune by Jenny Neyman here.

“If there’s a 5-year-old child that’s lost right now, we can’t go,’” Lawyer said Thursday. “It’s just really sad for something that service area members paid for. Your tax dollars paid to get this dog in service, yet you have to go to some mom and say, ‘Yeah, you paid for all this, but we’re not going to use it.’ That’s just not acceptable.”

Normally, agencies buy and train rescue dogs, but Lawyer bought the dog himself and when they both were trained pitched the idea of bringing Ares on board to CES.

Lawyer said he’s planning to spend another 10 years or so with CES, and wants to have Ares with him the whole time, which is the average span of a working dog’s career. Lawyer wants to get him certified in water and land cadaver searches and avalanche searches, as well.

He is planning a presentation today to the borough Assembly to see if funding can be restored.

Let's hope Lawyer can convince CES's board to change its mind.