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Sponsor
a deming dog
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Mine detection dogs help
out their human partners by sniffing the ground for the explosives
in landmines. When they smell explosives they signal to the
deminers, who then start their work clearing the land. Dogs
don't actually remove the mines, but they do help to find them.
You and your class can support a mine-detection dog with the
help of the ICBL and Norwegian’s People’s Aid. Here
is how you can help:
$10 pays for a collar and a leash (which lasts for one year)
$25 buys an all-weather kennel to keep "your" dog
safe and happy
$35 will provide food for "your" dog for one month
$200 maintains a dog and its human partner for one week |
If your class raises $5000 or more, you can choose the name of the
dog you will be supporting and receive a photo! Every contribution
to support these dogs helps in some way to clear landmines so that
people can return to their communities without fear! If your class
is interested in supporting a mine-detection dog, you can learn how
from the ICBL’s Sponsor a Dog Program.
Learn more about the dogs who do this
important work.
Why dogs?
Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, enjoy working with humans
and can be trained to do quality work with their human partners.
What types of dogs are used?
Many types of dogs have been trained as mine-detection dogs,
including both shepherds and retrievers.
How are they trained? Dogs are
trained to identify the various types of explosives found in
mines. They are taught to slowly and carefully sniff the ground
and to signal to their human partner any time they smell explosives.
Training is a careful process. If they miss an explosive in
training it's just a mistake, but if they miss an explosive
in the field it could injure a deminer, a dog, or an innocent
child. Because mine detection dogs are so well trained, very
few are killed or injured in the line of duty.
Do dogs like doing this work?
Of course they do! One of the qualifications for a mine detection
dog is that it enjoys its job. Dogs receive treats or toys from
their handlers when they find explosives and perform well.
Where are mine-detection dogs
used? Mine detection dogs work
well in some places and not in others. Factors such as the soil
type, terrain and climate all determine whether or not mine
detection dogs will work well in a given area. Mine detection
dogs have been used extensively in many countries including
Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia and
Mozambique.
How much do these dogs cost? Depending
on the dog and the training, it can cost up to $30,000 for a
fully-trained mine-detection dog. A mine detection dog working
with Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in Bosnia-Herzegovina costs
$800 per month to maintain. Some of the costs involved in training
and maintaining a dog include purchasing the dog, the dog handler's
salary, veterinarian bills, dog equipment (leashes, collars,
toys), kennels, kennel staff, transportation and training.
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Deminer and explosive detecting dog searching for mines.
Puppies being breed and trained to become explosive detecting
dogs. |
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