Search and rescue dogs serve on the frontlines locating people missing after natural disasters, lost children, injured hikers and others, being ready at a moment’s notice to bravely endure the elements and save lives. Supreme Master Ching Hai, world renowned humanitarian, artist and spiritual teacher, speaks of her admiration and concern for these devoted canines.

And I saw many dogs, you know, they used for rescue mission. Oh, they just walk in like nothing, but I feel so bad about them.

The dogs walk in the sharp, broken glasses or anything like that. Even chemical leaking or anything, or germs or danger.

And these are precious dogs. They have been trained for years. And they even lay down their life for anyone at command. You have to protect that dog.

To show Her loving support for search dogs and their human partners, Supreme Master Ching Hai has generously contributed more than US$100,000 to search-and-rescue teams in 21 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

Today’s program features courageous dog teams from South Korea, the UK, and the US. Let's start by traveling to Seoul, South Korea to meet Mr. Han Jung-Min of National 119 Rescue Services, an emergency response organization created in 1995 by the country’s central government after the collapse of a major South Korean department store.

Since being established by the order of the president at the time of the Sampoong Department Store collapse, our National 119 Rescue Services has been helping in major disasters and accidents. And we also function as an international rescue team going to overseas disaster sites. Our rescue dogs have been overseas seven times. The most recent one was the Haiti earthquake.

People say dogs see the world not with their eyes but with their noses. Their smelling capability is about 10,000 times greater than a human’s, ten thousand time greater. So they search for humans by smell, which works much better than even state-of-the-art equipment.

What happens when a brave rescue dog reaches the age when he or she can no longer serve?

They deserve a really comfortable life after retirement.

We select someone who has a garden who will truly love and care for the dog. And we send the dog to this person free of charge.

Supreme Master Ching Hai recently contributed US$1,000 to help purchase protective equipment for the canines of National 119 Rescue Services, which informed our local Association members that the dogs needed special boots and medical supplies unavailable in South Korea. Thus our Association purchased the items from abroad with Master’s funds and delivered them to Rescue Services. They also presented Rescue Services with a copy of Her international #1 bestseller, “The Dogs in My Life.”

There is no emergency medical kit for rescue dogs in Korea. So, we have been using an emergency medical kit for humans so far. So, these can be very useful for us.

I appreciate the gifts so much.

Our next stop is the New England area of the US where the non-profit canine search and rescue organization Search Dogs Northeast is based. Search Dogs Northeast offers its services free of charge to government agencies in the region. Let’s now join one of the group’s training sessions where certified rescue dog Libby is honing her search skills.

This is a sample problem for remains detection. And what we’ve got is a couple teeth that were pulled from one of my nephews and we placed them in a jar and there’s enough tissue that was associated with the teeth, where it’s a training aid for the dog.

So what we’ve done is, in this open area behind me, there’s covered up a little jar with a couple of teeth in it and that’s enough that Libby will be able to find it. Now, part of her training is to locate the source. But just as important is she’s got to let Joyce her partner know that she’s found it. So what we do is we train what’s called an indication. Libby’s indication is, after she’s found it, she will stay at the source and she’ll lie down and look at Joyce. So, it should be very apparent when she finds the source of the scent and lets her know.

Alright, so we’re going to show you the demonstration. Joyce is going to release Libby. She gives her a correct command to let her know that she’s searching. She immediately goes off, and of course the dogs use the wind to assist them. Generally speaking, you’ll notice a reaction by the dog the minute they get into the scent path. Libby is doing a great demonstration. Okay, and she sat down and that’s it. Libby is waiting for her reward. That’s as simple as what it is, a tennis ball. Great reward for a job well done!

We’ll now pause briefly, and when we return we’ll continue our visit with Search Dogs Northeast. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Welcome back to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants as we continue our program about devoted, intelligent canine search and rescue teams from around the world. Search Dogs Northeast, based in the New England region of the United States, is one such team. On the behalf of Supreme Master Ching Hai, our local Association members recently presented the benevolent group with her contribution in the form of a check for US$1,000.

Thank you very much!

I certainly appreciate it, on behalf of all our members of the team, I know we make a major commitment of time and resources and contributions like this are very important to us, as well as your appreciation.

It would be nice to replace some of our vests, which get kind of tattered going through the woods and also add lighting on the vests, so that when we search at night it will be easier to spot the dogs as they’re searching. So this will be a great way to make sure that all our dogs are outfitted properly when they are searching.

Search Dogs Northeast was also given a copy of Supreme Master Ching Hai's international #1 bestseller, "The Dogs in My Life," along with some vegan treats.

Wow, thank you very much!

We do spend a lot of time reading and studying dogs and I’m sure this will be very valuable as well.

We now cross the Atlantic Ocean to learn about the UK International Search and Rescue Team, whose members respond to disasters in urban areas around the globe, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and also serve their nation. The Team is comprised of humans and canines from 13 Fire & Rescue Services units in the UK, who serve on a rotating basis. Robin Furness is from one such unit, the Hampshire Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue dog team. He now explains why protective boots are essential for canines during their missions.

Boots are obviously very useful to us if the dogs are working on rubble; there’s a lot of nails, broken glass, rebar, which can cut the dog’s paw. If we’re overseas and the dog gets a bad cut on its paw, we’ve lost that resource. So by putting the boots on we can then keep the dog working; the dog doesn’t get injured. Everyone wins in that situation. This is the boot that we use for the dogs. You see it’s got a very tough bottom on it, so that will take a nail or stop a nail from going through, stop glass splintering, etc. going into the paw. The paw sits in like that then we just velcro it up nice and tight. The only other thing we will do as an additional aid is we will wrap electrical tape around it to really hold the boot on, to stop the dog throwing it off.

Although the unit possesses highly sophisticated search and rescue equipment, the intelligent, sensitive dogs play a vital role during its missions.

If a building collapses and there’s people trapped under the rubble, the dog's function is to detect their scent, live human scent. We’ve got a massive amount of equipment that costs an absolute fortune, and there’s a lot of high tech gear out there, there’s cameras that can go through very small holes. We can drill through concrete; we’ve got concrete chain saws, we’ve got listening devices that can almost hear a battery in a mobile phone ticking, they’re that sensitive.

But, the first thing we’ll always put on to a rubble pile is a dog. We’re just tapping into that sense of smell and as soon as a dog hits that sense of smell he does what you’ve seen, he starts barking; that tells us there’s someone there. The dog will pull off and then we’ll put all the high tech (equipment) in. But it all starts with a dog barking, which, for me, is very satisfying.

Mr. Furness was delighted to accept Supreme Master Ching Hai’s US$2,000 contribution in the form of a check to purchase safety equipment for the canines.

Lovely, thanks very much. Yes and I’d like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for the donation, it’s absolutely superb. It will get us the protective gear for the dogs. And as I say, these dogs are a marvelous resource, but we’ve got to protect them when they’re working, especially if we’re overseas and we haven’t got the vets to help back us up. So, very gratefully received; thank you very much indeed.

Many thanks to the selfless, dedicated dogs and their caring partners from National 119 Rescue Services in South Korea, the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team in Britain, Search Dogs Northeast in the USA and all the other canine search and rescue teams around the world whose tireless efforts save so many lives. May Providence continue to bless them in their noble work.

For more details on the search and rescue dog teams featured today please visit: National 119 Rescue Services

United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team

Search Dogs Northeast

Caring viewers, thank you for your presence today on Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Enlightening Entertainment is up next here on Supreme Master Television after Noteworthy News. May you enjoy greater harmony, peace and wisdom with every passing day.

Heart disease is called a “lifestyle disease” because it is preventable by making the right lifestyle choices. US cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Marc R. Katz recommends the whole foods plant-based diet to those looking to improve their heart health.

There’s a very rapid early benefit to switching the diet to a whole foods plant-based diet, and then there’s a long term benefit as well.

And if we could help convince more and more patients to proactively change their diets, change their lifestyles, it would take care of a lot of these problems.

To hear more of his wonderful insights, please join us for “Dr. Marc Katz: Heart Health and the Vegan Diet,” airing Monday, May 10, on Healthy Living.