Reported By: Jay Cashmere
Photographer: Tom Special
February 8, 2007
"It's so unique, she is the example."
She is Cloud. One of the only K-9's known in the United States which can search and find sick, injured, stranded or deceased dolphins.
"It really is heart wrenching to see so many strandings that get missed because of darkness, because they get tangled in mangroves or other locations you don't spot right away."
Beth Smart, director of the Dolphin and Marine Medical Research Foundation, brought the idea to life with the help of trainer Chris Blankenship. Together they have unleased America's first dolphin rescue dog.
"She goes into alert by sitting and barking."
Samples of dolphin tissue are placed in plastic bags then stuffed in plastic tubes. Cloud regularly travels the shoreline on the lookout for marine incidents. Whether she's over the water or on land she has never failed at picking apart the scent.
"Hey, what's up girl."
To make such a feat happens, 8 dolphins in the facility are used for her training. Cloud knows each of them all the way down to their names. It's a bond between trainer, dog and dolphins unfolding. A mission like never before.
"The future is to have more dogs trained just like Cloud, to have a lot of clouds out there."
Across South Florida and deep into the heart of the Keys one man and his companion are on assignment. Day by day they are reducing the number of dolphin strandings and in the process creating a relationship that can't be topped.
"We are best friends, we spend so much time together."
