Three year-old Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association (CARDA) certified Joss stands at the top of Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) fierce and determined. She鈥檚 been trained to locate someone buried under the snow. Though the gravity of her work can鈥檛 be overstated, to her, work is just another walk in the park.
鈥淔or her it鈥檚 all a game. Everything is fun,鈥� says Revelstoke Search and Rescue Volunteer Jeni Gibbs riding the chairlift with Joss at RMR. 鈥淲hen I say do you want to go to work, that鈥檚 like, do you want to go have a really good time. Not really like most people鈥檚 association with their job.鈥�
Gibbs is Joss鈥� handler. She鈥檚 trained Joss from birth and says they have an almost telepathic connection.
Today, Gibbs has set up an exercise that鈥檚 both practice and fun for Joss. Hidden in the snow is a friendly volunteer. And Joss is going to try and find her.
Gibbs gives Joss the codeword, letting her know that it鈥檚 time to do her job.
She鈥檚 poised as she performs the rescue drill, scanning the terrain with a steadfast determination and ease before alerting her handler that she鈥檚 done her part.
It takes Joss less than 30 seconds to find her volunteer buried in the snow on the Southside of Mt. Mackenzie at RMR, and Gibbs rewards her with a game of tug of war. It鈥檚 all part of the game.
Though it鈥檚 all fun for Joss, it takes years of relationship building and work to get dogs to demonstrate the kinds of behaviours necessary to get validated and certified as an avalanche rescue dog and perform the way Joss does.
But Gibbs is humble. She calls it, 鈥渆asy.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty easy, it鈥檚 like she knows what I鈥檓 thinking, and I know what she鈥檚 thinking, and we can kind of read each other,鈥� says Gibbs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like this is where mom is gonna let me go and run around, or this is where I鈥檓 gonna鈥� have to go back to the truck. When I say something she just knows what it means because, I taught her.鈥�
Because of all the time they鈥檝e spent together training, Gibbs and Joss have a special bond.
Gibbs calls Joss her best friend, and says she is beyond excited that she gets to spend her work days working with her dog.
鈥淭o have your best friend with you when you go to work, it鈥檚 pretty awesome,鈥� says Gibbs.
According to CARDA, one avalanche rescue dog can search hectare of avalanche terrain in 30 minutes.
They say it would take human beings working in a group about four hours to do the same.
Founded in 1978, CARDA is dedicated to saving the lives of those caught in avalanches.
To report a typo, email:
jake.sherman@revelstokereview.com.
jake.sherman@revelstokereview.com
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