A dog reports back to her owner during a cadaver dog training session near the German town of Koblenz in May.
Photographer: Ben Kilb/BloombergWhen the Dead Are Missing, These Dogs Know Where to Look
With disasters on the rise, trainers are turning to synthetic death scents and surgical castoffs to prepare cadaver dogs for the job.
On a sunny Saturday near the German town of Koblenz, a group of cadaver dogs and their trainers gathered at an abandoned spa to hunt for a three-month-old piece of placenta.
A fuzzy black Briard called Zaya circled an empty swimming pool, her tail swinging with excitement. The dog’s handler watched closely as cottonwood fluff swirled in the breeze — a way of tracking the air currents that carry scent particles. The dog paused on top of a pile of rubble where the placenta was hidden, looked to its owner for reassurance, then barked. Exam passed.