The doggy lifeguards that leap from helicopters to save stranded swimmers

Leaping out of helicopters into freezing water these are the incredible doggie-paddling life guards: Like canine David Hassel-woofs these fearless dogs scramble to the rescue of swimmers off the coast of Italy's popular beaches

They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy's popular beaches.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy's corps of canine lifeguards are deployed each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

In the same way that a helpful St.Bernard might rescue an Alpine hiker in distress these 'sea dogs' are saving the lives of dozens of swimmers off Italy's crowded beaches.

Instead of a reviving cask of brandy the 'lifedogs' tow a buoy that victims can grab, or wear a distinctive red 'Baywatch' harness connected to a raft the swimmer can ride back to shore.

Unlike their human counterparts, the dogs can easily jump from moving helicopters, boats or even jetskis to reach swimmers in trouble.

It can take up to three years for the 'rescue dogs' to reach operational status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who coordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards programme at a centre just outside Rome in the seaside resort of Civitavecchia.

'Dogs are useful in containing the physical fatigue of the lifeguard, to increase the speed at which casualties are retrieved, to increase the security of both the casualty and of the lifeguard,' Gasbarri said.

'The dog becomes a sort of "intelligent lifebuoy". It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents.'

Of the millions that flock to Italy's golden beaches every Summer some 3,000 swimmers require rescue after getting into difficulties and the lifeguard dogs are at the forefront of the rescue effort.

Each dog works as part of a team with a human handler who is also a fully-trained lifeguard.

The Civitavecchia center is one of twelve centres around the country for a school founded more than 20 years ago in the northern Italian province of Bergamo by Ferruccio Pilenga, who piloted the scheme by training his own Newfoundland.

The school can train any breed, as long as they weigh at least 66lb, but Labradors, Newfoundlands and golden retrievers are most commonly used because of their natural swimming ability.

'Being retrievers, they set out to pick up anything we tell them, be it a human being, an object, or a fish, and they bring it back to the shore,' said lifeguard Monica Luciani. 'They do not associate it with a physical activity, but it is rather a game for them.'

Best of all, in these cash-strapped times, the only reward that these ocean-going heroes require is a pat on the head.

Or perhaps a biscuit.

Using Dogs to Sniff Out Bed Bugs

Just hearing the words “bed bug” can make people itch. And news reports about retail stores and movie theaters battling the tiny, blood-sucking insects have caused some New Yorkers to panic. But the bugs can be prevented -- and a four-legged weapon is gaining popularity in the battle against the six-legged pests.
"Cassie. Cassie. Come around," says David Kendrick, a former New Jersey K9 officer. Now employed by Action Pest Control, he gives the signal for Cassie, his 2-year-old black lab mix, to get ready to hunt for bed bugs. "Park it," he says.

Kendrick's clients include stores, theaters, and residential and office buildings. None of them wanted the media tagging along with Kendrick, so we went to a bench in SoHo for a demonstration. Cassie sniffed it but she didn't sit down, which would have indicated a bed bug. When she does sit down, in homes at least, Kendrick says, "We'll completely strip the bed, take the pillows off, suitcases, the covers, we'll check all around the seams of a mattresses. One of the places they hide is under the seam. If you take the seam of a mattress and flipped it up you'll find them there. You could find them in the back of a headboard." And in the box springs.

Kendrick says the bugs like warm, dark places where they can feast on people. So they're not likely to be riding subways or sitting on park benches unless they're stuck on a bag or a shoe. That's how they wind up in retail stores and movie theaters.

Kendrick's company claims to have doubled its revenues since creating a bed bug unit in 2007. The company owns three dogs that were specially trained in Florida, and a fourth is arriving this week. Kendrick uses a flashlight or magnifying glass to make sure the dogs really have found the tiny, brownish black pests.

"These dogs are so sensitive they can smell a single egg," he says. "They can smell a single bug. They can be hidden someplace where we can't actually see them. So we have to rely a lot basically on what the dog's indicating to us."

He says bed bugs are found in about 60 percent of the places he's called to inspect. It can cost hundreds of dollars an hour to bring in a dog. And if bugs are found, it can be hundreds more to exterminate them with chemicals and steam. But Kendrick says the dogs are worth it to narrow the scope of treatment.

Nobody really knows why bed bugs spread here and nationally in the 1990s. But entomologists and people in the pest control field believe they're here to stay.

"Bed bugs have been hitch-hiking on human beings ever since the beginning of history. This is what they do," says Richard Cooper. He runs a resource called BedBug Central and serves on the New York City Bed Bug Advisory board, which issued a report this summer recommending greater outreach and education. Cooper says New Yorkers shouldn't panic and throw out their upholstery. But they should take precautions, like encasing their mattresses and boxsprings. And if you bring in a pest control company, Cooper -- who runs one of his own -- says there are things to watch:

"One, are they confirming the problem? Two, the kind of preparations that they're giving you, are they situation specific, in other words, are they asking you to bag every single item that you own? A lot of pest control companies do."

And he says that shouldn't be necessary unless an apartment is completely infested. Cooper also cautions that companies should have multiple tools beyond chemicals, such as dogs, steam, vacuums and instant freezing.

He and other experts say if people had been more vigilant and had the city done more outreach years ago, the epidemic might not have spread so thoroughly. But now that it has, bed bugs -- like cockroaches -- are part of the urban landscape. And if you're still worried about movie theaters, well, Cooper says don't bring a lot of belongings because that could make it easier for any stray bugs to follow you home.

By Beth Fertig

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Paralyzed dog reaches summit of Mount Washington

What's special about Lucy climbing a mountain this week? Dogs go hiking with their owners everyday. But Lucy isn't just any dog. She's got an awesome spirit. She was left to die on the roadside in Puerto Rico several years ago and was paralyzed in her hind quarters. She lived in a shelter in Puerto Rico for 2 years. Courtney Dunning, a nurse at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire, saw her on the internet and decided she wanted her. Lucy was flown to her and eventually outfitted with a special walker from Handicapped Pets. Wednesday, they reached the 6,288 foot summit. Lucy, 4, is the first physically challenged dog to make the trek. She went with Dunning by walking the auto road in Pinkham Notch, N.H., and was accompanied by four other people and Topper, Lucy's canine companion, also rescued from Puerto Rico. The 7.6 mile journey started at 5:28 a.m. and took just over six hours. It's the highest peak in the Northeast.

"She's such a go-getter," Dunning told the Union Leader. "Nothing stops her, she'll try anything. She goes up steps, she jumps off steps. She goes for walks, she goes for runs. Even at a full-out sprint, she far outdoes me."

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