Additional Details ------------------------------ Product description: Susannah Charleson had always lived in a houseful of dogs, having rescued many from shelters. But in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, she became intrigued by a newspaper photograph of a diligent search and rescue dog alongside her exhausted handler. Susannah clipped the photo, realizing she knew little of the work dogs did to rescue humans but recognizing how very important that work was. So she began to volunteer.
After a time assisting certified canine teams, Susannah qualified to train a dog of her own. Puzzle was no ordinary dog, however. This bright and willful golden retriever puppy exhibited unique aptitudes for search and rescue work, but she was less inclined toward the role of compliant house pet. Further, Susannah wondered if she would ever be able to win Puzzle’s respect and love.
SCENT OF THE MISSING is the story of their adventures together and the complex bond they form, as they help pursue the rescue and recovery of human victims fallen prey to crime, misadventure, or catastrophe. A teen gone missing. An Alzheimer’s patient wandering in the cold. The debris of the space shuttle Columbia disaster. From the earliest air-scent lessons to her final mastery of whole body dialog, Puzzle emerges as a fully collaborative partner in a noble enterprise that unfolds from case to case across the southwest. Along the way Susannah and Puzzle learn to read the clues in the field, and in each other, to unravel the greatest mystery of all – that of the human/canine bond.