As provided by guest contributor
Certified Human Remains Detection Dogs are working and training in the
Pacific Northwest. A team of handlers and their dogs were used to help
locate the graves of the Meek children who are buried next to the 1844
Methodist Meeting House. The Meeting House was the religious center for
the pioneer settlement and government meetings were held here for the
Tuality District. No stones or grave markers have survived over the years,
but maps and personal testimony help us pinpoint the site. The Human
Remains Detection Dogs were another way of documenting the resting
places of the Meek children.
Mountain Wave SAR [Search & Rescue] team responds to more than 100
missions each year across Oregon and Washington. The nonprofit group is
based out of Clackamas County where volunteers train together each week
in environments ranging from state parks, private land, mountains,
historic cemeteries, to fire-rescue facilities.
Mountain Wave SAR have several speciality areas, one being — K9 Search
& Rescue where handlers and dogs are working on Human Remains
Detection. Some of the dogs are certified and others are in training.
Handlers train the dogs to recognize a certain odor, and if the dogs find it
and alert, they get rewarded with a toy or treat.
Trial Run . . . .
We started in the historic West Union Pioneer Cemetery. There were
several unmarked graves. Twenty minutes prior to the run, several random
areas were vented. The dogs were run individually.
K9, Coal was the second dog out. “Started K9 at northeast end of the
property, running northwest through open field and into main section of
cemetery. At ~1 minute mark into search K9 showed interest in a
particular pair of graves marked Nancy Sewell and Casper Bergh but did
not give his final trained response. Both handler and K9 continued passed
this area, heading toward the corner of the lot but the K9 abruptly turned
and went back to the location giving his final trained response (sit)
between the same two heads stones. K9 was rewarded and put back to
work. We headed towards the corner of the lot where the Bones Family is
buried. Their markers date them back to 1854 as they are the earliest
known to have been buried in this cemetery. K9 spent some time checking
the vent holes and also a few minutes checking the area just behind these
graves and out side of the cemetery proper. No final response was given.
As we headed east K9 Coal abruptly went directly back across the
cemetery ranging away from the handler to the Bergh/Sewell location and
again gave his final trained response there and was rewarded again. This
concluded our search of the property.”
Methodist Meeting House on Starr Blvd.
“Checking a section of an empty field for possible unmarked graves dating
back prior to the 1860s. K9 headed north along the NE Starr Blvd edge of
the property about 500 feet, then came back about 400 feet east and
entered the property to the south with no areas of interest. As covered the
south west corner of the search area he had a change of behavior
indicating he was in scent. He circled thru this area several times and came
to a location about 100 feet from Starr Blvd where he gave his trained final
response and was rewarded.
The coordinates for this point are:
10T 0504977
50 446000
Search completed.” Notes from Coal’s handler, Michelle Schireman.
Photo: Coal: Certified Human Remains Detection dog who gave is trained
response during the search.
