These ‘conservation’ dogs can sniff out invasive plants and endangered species the size of a nickel

Lauralea Oliver has worked with dogs for most of her life. She grew up with a German Shepherd as a pet, was a dog trainer for many years, worked in animals shelters — all of which led her to dabble in scent work about 15 years ago.

“I met a lot of people — professional handlers that did narcotics, search and rescue,” said Oliver, who lives in the community of Acton near Antelope Valley. “I started to feel a pull in that direction.”

Oliver is also a big naturalist. So she started researching fields that combine these different interests.

What she happened upon was the then nascent field of using dogs for ecological scent detection. “A marriage made in heaven for me,” Oliver said.  Read More….