More than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall, its devastating impact is still affecting communities across the southern United States. Many areas remain without power and are isolated from essential support. In response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and dedicated search and rescue dog teams have deployed to locate and assist individuals trapped by the storm's aftermath. These courageous and expertly trained dog-and-handler teams, many of whom are volunteers, are working tirelessly in challenging and hazardous conditions to provide vital assistance to victims and bring hope to their families.
What Kind of Working Dogs Go to Sites?
In large-scale disaster areas like those affected by Hurricane Helene, several types of specialized working dogs are deployed to assist in search and rescue operations. According to Hannah Davis, founder of East Carolina Search and Recovery, FEMA-certified dogs are usually the first responders to these sites. These dogs are highly trained to work in hazardous conditions such as rubble piles, where they must be able to navigate dangerous terrain and search for survivors.
Dogs working in rubble piles require extensive training, including what Davis refers to as “intentional disobedience.” This means that when a handler gives an order, the dog must recognize when it is unsafe to follow the command. For example, if the dog is instructed to move in a certain direction but detects a dangerous situation, such as unstable debris, the dog must disobey to keep itself safe. These trained dogs not only work in rubble but also search through mudslides, collapsed buildings, wilderness areas, and flooded zones to locate victims.
Their expertise and adaptability make them an essential part of disaster response teams, helping to save lives even in the most challenging circumstances. In addition to searching rubble piles, the trained dogs are also deployed to search through mudslides, wilderness areas, collapsed buildings, and even flooded regions. More than a week after Hurricane Helene's landfall, recovery efforts continue in the affected areas. Despite the widespread devastation, live rescues are still occurring, with search teams reaching even the most remote locations. “This speaks to the resiliency of Appalachia and North Carolina. These are people who are accustomed to the challenges of mountain life in a rural context,” says Davis. This ongoing search and rescue effort highlights the determination and resourcefulness of both the human and canine teams working tirelessly to save lives.
Volunteer Teams on the Ground After Disaster
Responding to Hurricane Helene has proven to be an extremely challenging task for the trained dog-handler teams on the ground. Before the hurricane, western North Carolina was already a remote area, but the storm has only made it harder to reach the most impacted zones. Roads and bridges have been washed away, and the region's infrastructure has been severely damaged. According to Davis, safely deploying trained dogs and their handlers into these areas is far more complex than simply driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle to the scene.
The North Carolina Emergency Management System is overseeing the rapid deployment of certified dog-handler teams to the disaster zones. Davis and her team remain on standby, ready to respond as the focus shifts toward human remains recovery. She emphasizes that it’s crucial for dog-handler teams not to "self-deploy." They must wait until called upon by authorities. Even well-trained teams may find themselves unprepared for the difficult conditions, which could pose risks to both the dogs and handlers, potentially diverting critical resources from other emergency operations.
Training these highly skilled dogs takes about two years, during which they are prepared for complex tasks. A unique aspect of remains detection work is that, although these teams often work closely with law enforcement and emergency responders, the majority are volunteers. Davis points out that 90-95% of the detection dogs are handled by volunteers. "Very few of us are paid, very few of us are law enforcement," she says. Additionally, she highlights that human remains detection is a field dominated by women, with most of the handlers on the front lines being female.
Tackling Unbelievable Disaster Conditions
The conditions in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene are proving to be some of the most extreme and hazardous ever faced by search and rescue teams. "It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve been doing this for 25 years," says Jack Thorp, Director and K9 Handler with the NC Trooper’s Association K9 Search & Recovery. He spent 10 days on the ground with his German Shepherd, "Fiji." Dog-handler teams working on-site are enduring 14-16 hour shifts, searching through debris, water, and mud. Alongside Thorp’s team, Annissia Justice, Assistant Director of the NC Troopers Association, and her Belgian Malinois, "Dahlia," are navigating the wreckage, moving from one search area to the next. On any given day, they may spend hours searching through treacherous mud, collapsing buildings, and flooded areas—all while enduring the intense sun.
Conditions are especially dangerous for the dogs due to the thick mud, which can be up to 18 inches deep and extremely difficult to navigate. Even experienced search and rescue dogs can struggle in such a challenging environment. "If you don’t have a dog with super stable genetics and lots of drive, the first brier patch or mudhole they fall into, they would have been done," says Justice. Stability and drive are crucial when selecting dogs for these operations. The chosen dogs are those that go above and beyond, overcoming every obstacle to do their job.
In addition to the mud, the destruction caused by the storm has created hazardous conditions for both the dogs and their handlers. All debris is treated as potentially contaminated, requiring decontamination of both dogs and handlers every 30 minutes. The storm has also displaced wildlife, which presents further risks. Animals such as bears, elk, bobcats, and deer are now roaming the affected areas, complicating the search efforts. However, the biggest concern is the presence of yellow jackets. Normally settling down this time of year, these insects have been displaced by floodwaters, creating a significant danger to the working teams.
Due to the extreme physical demands of the work, search teams rotate in and out of the affected areas. Handlers and their dogs work under physically taxing conditions, making rest and recovery essential. After their 10-day deployment, Justice and her dogs will return home for grooming, veterinary checkups, and much-needed rest before potentially heading back out to continue their life-saving efforts.
Difficult Scents to Track
The work that search and rescue dogs perform in disaster areas, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, cannot be replicated by drones or other technology. The ability of dogs to detect scent and navigate through hazardous environments is crucial to saving lives and recovering bodies. Cat Warren, bestselling author of "What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World," explains that the search conditions following Hurricane Helene are particularly challenging. The dogs involved in these recovery efforts are some of the most highly trained in the world.
Warren explains that the overwhelming amount of odors present at a disaster site can make the work especially difficult, even for experienced dogs. They must sort through a mixture of scents from floodwaters, chemicals, damaged buildings, and displaced wildlife. Despite these challenges, the efforts and successes of the search teams on the ground are nothing short of remarkable. A coordinated search is taking place across 25 counties, many of which are geographically isolated in the mountains. As teams clear one area, they move on to the next.
Dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell, but for them to detect the scent, it must rise to the surface. Due to the constantly shifting conditions, such as mudslides and receding waters, many areas will need to be re-searched in the future. Warren notes that as the mud continues to shift, pockets of air will emerge, carrying more scent to the surface, which will allow the dogs to detect it.
The recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene are far from over. The scale of the disaster, combined with the complicated and ever-changing conditions, means that human remains detection dogs could be working in these areas for months. The heroic efforts of these dogs and their handlers remain a vital part of the ongoing recovery.
Jobs That Feel Like Play for the Dogs
Many working dogs are high-drive animals, living for the opportunity to perform their jobs and often finding great joy in the work they do. Justice’s dog, Dahlia, is a prime example. Known for her love of squeaky toys, especially the KONG Wubba, Dahlia has a collection of these toys—some even themed for holidays like Halloween and Christmas—which she brings with her on deployments. Despite the serious and sometimes dangerous nature of the work, Dahlia has a habit of adding a touch of levity. “Everything is so serious. There are literal fires from a train derailing, and Dahlia’s there squeaking!” Thorpe, a fellow handler, joked about his colleague’s dog.
For handlers and emergency responders, watching the dogs play offers a welcome relief from the stress of their demanding work. Interacting with the dogs helps keep spirits high, especially after long hours of being wet, sore, and exhausted from the physical toll of the job. “Everyone thinks that they are upset after doing a difficult job, but they don’t have those human emotions we have. At the end of the day, they are just happy to earn their toy,” says Justice.
These dogs thrive in their roles, driven by instinct and an innate desire to work. For them, what may seem like hard work to humans is simply a fun and fulfilling way to use their energy and talents. Their enthusiasm for their job reminds everyone of the joy they find in performing the tasks they were born to do.