A staffie owner is helping to banish the breed’s fearsome reputation after training her pet as Scotland’s first dog sniffer dog.
Dani Birnie has taught Nova to search for missing pets and has recently launched an organisation offering the dog’s skills to those in need.
The one-year-old pooch was the first dog to qualify north of the border but has since been joined by others in the new organisation.
Currently Search Dogs for Lost Dogs Scotland covers Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Perthshire and Dundee but Dani has plans to train more dogs to eventually cover the whole of Scotland.
When called upon to find a missing dog, Dani or one of her team of volunteers travels to the area where it was last seen. Recent successes have seen them track down missing pets in as little as 20 minutes.
Dani, who lives in Glenrothes, said: “This is something I wanted to do because I’ve assisted with missing dog organisations for a few years. When I got Nova as a puppy I thought it would be an asset to have a dog that could track and find other dogs.
“We liaise with owners to go to where the dog was last seen and use a scent article, if it’s available, and trail them. There’s so much a dog can do with their skills and their noses that a human just can’t.
“Nova’s the first in Scotland as far as I’m aware. My ultimate goal is to have one dog available for each region in Scotland.
“Nova is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and I’m a great advocate for the breed – I want them to be seen in a positive light, so this helps.”
Dani said that while the service is currently free they welcome donations as Nova and the other dogs in the team will need continuing assessment to keep them up to scratch.
She said: “I practised scent work with my other dog but Nova really took to it so at 17 weeks I made some calls.
“We’ve worked with John Miskelly, of Canine Scent and Search, and Steve Dineley, of the National Association of Security Dog Users, and we couldn’t have done it without their support.
“I wouldn’t like to put an exact figure on it but it’s cost a lot financially to get Nova qualified. We don’t charge but we will accept donations as these dogs need ongoing testing to ensure they are up to the job.
“When we find a dog and reunite it with its owner it’s such an overwhelming feeling.”
