Hats Off to Ranger

... Lab Named Top Dog in Search and Rescue by AKC
By Josh Hagy

It doesn’t take a costume or superpowers to be a hero. All you need is four tough paws and a wet nose, just like Ranger. Ranger is an 8-year-old Lab owned by Captain Kerry Foster and has been recognized by the American Kennel Club with the prestigious Award for Canine Excellence for his Search and Rescue work. “I was very pleased that he took top dog in Search and Rescue. He works hard,” said Kerry. And Ranger’s hard work has caught the attention of quite a few people.

Ranger holds the impressive title of Forensic Detection Dog and is specifically trained to hunt for cadavers in the aftermath of disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, as well as crime scenes and other everyday scenarios. It was his work in New Orleans in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Katrina that garnered him national attention.

For four months, from March 12 through July 1, Kerry and Ranger were in the middle of recovery efforts in Louisiana, working closely with the New Orleans Fire Department to recover bodies and aide the clean-up efforts in the Crescent City. “It was tough work,” said Kerry, recalling the experience. “We went through every house in the Ninth Ward and for a month, Ranger was the only dog on the ground.” To add to the difficulties of working solo, Kerry and Ranger also had to deal with the challenges in arriving on site nearly eight months after the disaster had struck.

The pair put in long, difficult 12 hour days as they tried to sort through the wreckage. “There were houses that had been moved blocks away from where they originally stood by the storm. There were houses stacked on top of each other and heavy layers of mud and gunk stacked inside of them. There are a lot of dogs that are trained for cadavers that are used to decomposing material which has a really heavy scent. And a lot of times we were dealing with skeletal and mummified remains which have very little scent,” said Kerry. Ranger and Kerry dealt with these challenges day in and day out and managed to sift through the remains of close to 2,800 damaged homes. Obviously, such a strenuous work load can be hard on both dog and owner, and Ranger and Kerry faced plenty of hazards in their work.

As the name Search and Rescue (SAR) implies, there are dozens of hazards facing both man and canine as they look to help out in disaster areas. A hurricane ravaged New Orleans was certainly no exception. “It was tough,” said Kerry. “We ended making a couple extra trips to the vet because Ranger wasn’t used to having such a rigorous day.” Long hours not withstanding, the duo faced the inherent dangers of broken glass, scattered nails and other debris left over from wrecked homes.

Ranger actually suffered three separate cuts, one on his chest that required six staples that Kerry had to administer himself, another cut on his back foot and a third on his right front foot that actually required minor surgery to repair. Ranger’s pads also became incredibly tough from walking over rough terrain. In fact, they became so rough and abrasive that Kerry couldn’t let Ranger’s pads touch his skin. “Of course we would take him out of the field for a day or two to let him rest and heal, but he wanted to be right back out there.” Ranger is possessed with an indomitable work ethic, something that actually drew a crowd of onlookers.

Ranger and Kerry often found themselves as the center of attention as they went about their Search and Rescue operations. “It was almost like everyone gathered around when he started working,” recalled Kerry. “It seemed like they hadn’t seen the work ethic Ranger has.” In fact, contractors, FEMA personnel, firefighters and public officials often stopped to watch; and FEMA later organized groups of White House officials and dignitaries to watch Ranger at work. Ranger’s success was due in part to the “leg up” that long years of training have given him.

While Kerry is quick to point out the efforts of many other hard working canine Search and Rescue units, he also notes that Ranger is more specifically trained for this kind of work. “Even though there were quality dogs that were doing some awesome work, they were mostly trained for wilderness work and weren’t trained for the urban environment. Ranger is, and that does make a difference.” Ranger and Kerry, when they’re on duty at home, are attached to the City of Shreveport Fire Department Canine Search and Rescue Task Force.

Kerry was one of the founding members of the team. “I founded this team in 1998 and it was 1999 before we really had the chance to do anything.” It was in 1999 that Ranger and Kerry first became a team. “I had worked with Tennessee Task Force One, a FEMA USAR team, in Memphis, Tennessee, and I knew a guy there that had a litter of pups.” One of those pups, of course, was Ranger, who Kerry has worked with and trained since he was only eight weeks old.

There was quite a learning curve for both Kerry and Ranger and one they conquered together on a trial and error basis. “I really knew nothing about what to do as far as canine training in SAR. We started going from one seminar to the next to learn the basics and built from there. I learned through trial and error. I made a tremendous amount of mistakes and bless his heart, he’s had to toe the road on all of them.” From those humble beginnings, a very capable SAR Task Force has grown to maturity.

The task force now consists of six dogs and seven handlers. There are two Blood Hounds, two Labs for live detections and two Labs for cadavers—one of which is Ranger. Each dog stays with his handler in the off hours and each handler has the facilities to care for two dogs at a time. Over the years, the team has discovered that Labs are almost a perfect fit for Search and Rescue.

The team utilizes mainly smaller Labs because of both their size and skill at detection. “It was by accident that we discovered how great they are. They’re the perfect size for the times that we have to do a lot of lifting and carrying them around disaster sites,” explained Kerry. The handlers are now looking at replacing some of the dogs and easing them into retirement.

After eight years of hard work, Ranger certainly has earned his retirement. But he’s not quite ready for it yet. “I don’t want to completely take him out of the field. He loves his work. He’s had between 40 and 50 locations of bodies in an awesome career. Now he’s just getting a little tired and worn out and he has a slight touch of arthritis,” said Kerry. Ranger’s AKC award certainly seems to come at an appropriate time.

On November 30, these Search and Rescue veterans will fly to Long Beach, California, where they will be presented the award, which consists of a $1,000 award that Captain Foster is donating to his SAR Team, and an engraved Sterling Silver collar medallion. The presentation will take place during the AKC/Eukanaba National Championship. But despite this top honor, there is actually another award that is foremost on Ranger’s mind: a simple black ball cap. “He loves them. He would do absolutely anything for a baseball cap,” Kerry said with a laugh. There is certainly not another Lab who deserves one more than Ranger.

All of us here at All Labs congratulate Ranger and Captain Foster for this well-earned award. Hats off to Ranger!!

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