'Dogcam' Gives Search And Rescue Efforts A Canine Point Of View (VIDEO)

Looking at things from a dog's perspective may not be the first idea for those charged with an important task, but one company in the U.K. is helping search and rescue teams do just that.

In the video below from the BBC, a dog equipped with a new camera system is able to help rescuers easily find an individual trapped in a collapsed house as part of a training exercise.

British firm Wood & Douglas has developed a canine-mounted "dogcam" known as PAWS, which stands for portable, all-terrain, wireless system, according to ABC News.

Along with search and rescue, Wood & Douglas is confident their system will have other uses. BBC News reports that police, fire and military personnel will be able to use the camera during operations such as fugitive searches, drug raids and avalanche rescues.

Robin Furniss, a dog handler who has been testing the PAWS system, said in Britain's Littlehampton Gazette, "It could prove useful in the future, as it is not always possible for firefighters to enter a collapsed building due to the unstable nature of the structure. On these occasions a dog can be sent in as they are lighter and able to move around more safely in these confined conditions."

As brave as the PAWS-equipped pooches will be, sometimes dogs are the ones being rescued. A couple near Los Angeles has adopted 29 wolf dogs from Alaska and hired military veterans to work at their rescue center. A dog that was buried in a recent avalanche in Montana surprised rescuers when it returned to his deceased owner's hotel after four days in the woods.

WATCH:

Comments

[Heather Houlahan]

05:49 PM on 01/18/2012

Disaster SAR dogs deploy into rubble naked, not even a collar, because of the danger of being caught up.

This is the second video I've seen today of a dog being burdened with bulky and dangerous kit and sent into rubble.

The dog does her job and finds the subject, performs her bark alert. Of what use is the camera? It can't give useful information about where the dog is, and it doesn't show the lost subject.

[Cyn McCollum]

09:08 PM on 01/18/2012

Because it's excellent marketing, Heather. *snark*

[Igor Purlantov]

01:54 PM on 01/13/2012

It is amazing how much dogs can help in these search and rescue missions. Having this dogcam should be very helpful.

www.igor-purlantov.org

[ontariogirl]

09:58 AM on 01/10/2012

What a great idea. I love it.

[karen lyons kalmenson]

08:00 AM on 01/09/2012

we could learn a lot from a dog's point of view, in many arenas, especially of the heart

[CASnyder]

09:14 PM on 01/08/2012

I wonder if these PAWS dogs will be chosen from the smallest breeds intended to go into the burrows of their prey, like dachshunds & terriers. Like spelunking (cave exploration) this is task at which the smallest can excel. What a comfort that would be to have a dog find you if you were buried alive and better yet if it could stay with you until the rescuers could dig you out.

[mlaiuppa]

11:08 PM on 01/08/2012

They'll have to reduce the size and weight of the unit they showed, but I'm sure that is already in the works and it won't be long.

[fetchmasters]

03:07 PM on 01/09/2012

The dog being used in the video is a Border Collie, which is known for its intelligence. I would also think they might choose from breeds known for the sniffing ability (i.e. hounds and such). Your thought about the dog staying with the victim is a neat one -- and one I've heard before. That could be as practical as it would be comforting if they attached some sort of location device on the dog (something like a gps) so they could then find the person using that signal. http://www.fetchmasters.com

[Cheyla]

07:24 PM on 01/08/2012

I'm not sure I like the idea of forcibly using these animals like disposable equipment. Can the animal, like a young child, make an informed decision to risk their life in these situations? As I've always said, if you would not do the procedure to a human child, then you should not do it to an animal.

[mlaiuppa]

11:10 PM on 01/08/2012

Ask rescue dog handlers. The dogs love their work. It gives them purpose and when they retire they pine to go out again. Same with service dogs. It's why the breeds are called 'working dogs'. If they don't have work, they'll find some. And it will often be destructive. That's when their owners dump them in shelters due to behavior problems. It's not the dogs. It's the people.

[Roadrun]

08:53 AM on 01/10/2012

An informed decision? Surely you jest. Truth is, they are simply allowing the dogs to do what they love to do. Those dogs are more than a little proud of themselves when they find someone. This is what they were born to do.