Muscat: Search and rescue dogs have played a key role in finding bodies and missing persons during the recent heavy rains that lashed Oman. Dogs are efficient in search and rescue operations. Their sensitive eyes and noses are invaluable assets in locating missing persons, whether they are alive or dead.
The importance of using dogs in tropical storms and emergencies lies in their ability to detect odours with exceptional accuracy, enabling search teams to pinpoint the locations of people more quickly and precisely. Abid al Balushi of the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority shared with the Observer how dogs are utilised in this domain.
"Search and rescue dogs possess an extraordinary ability to detect odours, even the faintest ones, making them an indispensable tool in searching for missing persons, whether they are trapped under debris or in vast areas such as deserts or wadis," Al Balushi said.
Discussing the types of dogs used in search and rescue operations in Oman, Al Balushi highlighted the existence of multiple trained dog breeds, with a focus on those distinguished by their ability to work in diverse environments, such as Labradors and Spanish dogs. He explained that Labradors specialise in cadaver search and Spanish dogs are trained to locate living persons.
Past experiences have demonstrated that the use of dogs in search and rescue operations in Oman has yielded tangible results. Dogs have successfully rescued a significant number of persons missing in tropical storms and emergencies.
Al Balushi said dogs are trained and qualified to work in various conditions and environments, enabling them to handle the diverse challenges they may encounter during search and rescue operations.
He explains that the process of training and breeding dogs is “not limited to importing them from abroad but has become localised in Oman, where dogs are trained and fully qualified, in addition to training individuals on how to use them in fieldwork."
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