Avalanche dog teams patrol ski resorts ready to save a life

Henry the Border Collieis a super-athletic dogwith a life-saving mission.

Every morning his job is to head to the top of Whistler Mountain and be ready to rescue people buried in an avalanche.

Henryis one of about 25 specially trained dogs certified by the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association, or CARDA,that work onand around Canada'slargest ski resorts.

"You enter a relationship with thesedogsthat you hope could one day savea life," saidveteran Whistler ski patroller and rescue-dog handler IanBunbury.

He's trained four-year-old Henrysincehe was a puppy.

"We're a great team, we read each other really well, he knows what I expect," he saidproudlyas he zippedup Henry's special harness, which can even allowhim to be lowered downhelicopter lines during rescue operations.

Strong connection between dog and handler

Bunburyhas spent thousands of hours training Henry, not only to be a well-behavedpet, but also to be able to track down and sniff out people buried under the snow.

Henry diligently obeysevery command that Bunburymakes athis family's home above Whistler's Creekside neighbourhood.

The bond between the handler and his dog is loving, but intense.

"We are never apart.When I say I spend more time withthisdogthan with I do with my family, I'm not bragging about that.It's just the way it is," saidBunbury.

"He sleeps beside my bed. When my feet hit the floor he is like, 'OK,Dad, what are we going to do today?'"

Short window for rescue

As air moves across the snow, avalanchedogs are able to pick up the scent of a person below the snow. Theyare trained to run toward thatscent, where rescuers will help them dig.

"He [Henry] can cover an area that it would take 50 people a day to cover, adogcan cover it in half an hour," saidBunbury.

People caught inavalancheshave a short window for survival often 30 minutes or less so finding them fast is critical, said Bunbury.

"Henry is the guy. You are going to depend on him to save your life," said Bunburyas he puthis dog through a number of training exercises in an area near Whistler's Roundhouse Lodge.

'Super-brainiac'

In a brief demonstrationfor CBC News, Henry sniffed out and ran straight for a piece of clothingthat Bunbury had worn and buried earlier.

It only took perhaps a minuteto find it, and maybe another minuteto dig itout through the heavy snow.

His reward is a game of tug-of-war, as BunburyloudlypraisedHenry for the successful find.

"That's really what we're exploiting here is the dog's prey drive,for him to hunt something and bring it back to the alpha leader of the relationship."

Bunbury says certain breeds like Border Collies, Labradors and German Shepherds are best for the job, but onlythe right kind of owner canmatch wits or have the energy to keep up with them.

"He's a super-athlete and a super-brainiac, too," Bunbury said of his dog.

"These Border Collies, they're actually smarter than they need to be to do this job."

Huge amount of terrain a challenge in B.C.

At Whistler-Blackcomb, a minimum of two dogs patrol each of the resort's two mountains every day during ski season.

Anne Kennedy and her nine-year-old Border CollieSerenpatrolsome of Canada's most expansive and challenging ski terrain onBlackcomb.

"Our main issue is our timely response to get somewhere," saidKennedy as she skied behind her speedy dog, who navigated the resort's steep slopes with ease.

"With this amount of terrain, that's the real issue."

Serenhas never been called on to try and save a life in the six years since she became a validated avalanche rescue dog.

But Kennedy says she's able to search a huge area if a slidehappens.

"She can clear100 square metresin about 10minutes," she said.

Avalanches are a real riskin the Whistler area, occasionallyeven happeningwithinresort boundaries, although more often people caught in slides are in the vast back country.

In Europe, where ski resorts are much more compact and more densely populatedthan those in western Canada, rescue dogs have been able to successfully findpeople alive afteravalanches.

But the reality is that over the 10-year career ofa Canadianavalanchedog, very few will ever successfully rescue avictim.

Only one 'live find' ever in Canada

Most people who die inavalanches in the mountains ofB.C. and Albertaget caught in the back country, where it takes rescue teamsand dogstoo long to reach them.

In fact, there's only ever been one 'live find' for a Canadian avalanche rescue dog,in December of 2000,when avalanche dog Keno saved a lift operator in Fernie, B.C.

Still, Bunbury says that hope is what motivates him to put in so muchtime and effort training with Henry.

"I've been caught in avalanches and I'd never want anyone to go through the horrorof being buried," says Bunbury, who grew up skiing in Whistler. Hehas been a patroller for 25 years with threedifferent dogs.

"Itwould be the absolutely pinnacle of my career to have alive find that's why I got into it."

Adventure-seekersheading into avalanche-prone areas are strongly advised to take tracking devices, and to be prepared to locate and dig out other members of their partiesif they get intotrouble.

But on or near resorts, the incredible noses of avalanchedogs like Henry arestill crucial.

"People are going to get caught inavalanches.Youwant to save them," saidBunbury.

"The best day would be saving an avalanche victim."