Reviews for Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog

The average rating for Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-04-10 00:00:00 Malcolm Turner I've always admired working dogs (from a distance) and their human partners. I'd heard about Scent of the Missing. from friends, and picked it up to find out what they saw in it. And I saw it too. Dogs (and cats and other pets) are NOT just small humans, and treating them as such degrades both the animal and the human. Susannah Charleson does not fall into this trap (which admittedly puts books on the Best Seller list). Ms. Charleson accepts her companions (dogs and cats) on their own terms. She respects their species for what they are, and then tells us all about them. Scent of the Missing is the story of Susannah Charleson's journey from pilot and flight instructor to Search and Rescue volunteer, and ultimately as a SAR dog handler. (or is it Puzzle who is the handler?) It touches on the life of a SAR team member, triumphs and tragedies, and the feelings of accomplishment and failure that go with the territory. Her writing is readable and literate and a joy to absorb. It is educational, too; it should be required reading for police and first responders who are not aware of the capabilities of mixed human-animal rescue teams. I learned about an area that I'd never thought about, and I feel better rounded for having done so.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-04-25 00:00:00 Donald Mertens I love reading books about service dogs and the amazing work they do! The author, a service dog handler herself, reveals in much detail just how much effort must be put forth by the dogs and humans in search-and-rescue situations. There is no sugar-coating; the author is very honest in all of her stories, including the ones that don't always have happy endings. The best parts for me were the "adventures" Susannah Charleston had in training her service dog Puzzle starting from puppyhood. Definitely a lot of giggle-worthy moments, especially those involving Puzzle and her three Pomeranian "siblings"! Memorable Quotes: (Pg.7)-"Having run with more than a dozen breeds and their handlers, having searched night into day for the living, and having knelt over the dead, I'm aware how serious a proposition bringing a new dog to the team is. Working search is not a hobby or a Sunday pastime."