Scent preservation kits help with missing persons

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Being the caretaker for another human being, whether it be a child, a spouse, a parent, another relative, a friend or a neighbor, is a big responsibility.

Caring for someone who has a heightened risk of wandering off or getting lost, such as a child or an adult or senior citizen with memory loss such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or cognitive issues, can keep the caretaker up at night wondering if they are safe. 

Kristi Teklinski, a first responder from White Oak EMS’s Search and Rescue K-9 division, understands this. That’s why she is encouraging people in that situation who live in White Oak and South Versailles Township to consider participating in the WOSAR Scent Preservation Kit Program.

WOSAR, an all volunteer, nonprofit division of White Oak EMS, is equipped with eight search-and-rescue dogs that are tasked with using their heightened sense of smell and sound to look for people who have been reported missing.

Teklinski, who handles Xito, a 5-year-old German shepherd, said one of the issues WOSAR team members face when looking for a missing person is not being able to find a personal article, such as clothing, that carries the person’s scent and hasn’t been tainted by other smells.

“When our dogs are looking for somebody, we present them with something that smells like that person so they know who to track,” Teklinski said.

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