7 Years of Rescue Dog Service Ends... Maru Preparing for His "Second Dog Life"

Active in 179 Missions as a Member of Gangwon Fire Department, Rescuing 6 Survivors
Exceptional Sense of Smell and Hearing, Leading Various Search and Rescue Operations

Rescue dog 'Maru' and handler Fire Sergeant Choi Heon Photo by Fire Sergeant Choi Heon [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Maru (10), a male Labrador Retriever who has been active as a search and rescue dog belonging to the Gangwon-do Fire Headquarters, roaming the rugged mountainous areas of Gangwon-do for nearly seven years, will retire on the 10th at the Yangyang Aviation Unit hangar.

Maru, wearing a chest harness labeled "Search and Rescue Dog" as a member of the Gangwon-do Fire Headquarters since December 23, 2015, has been dispatched to 179 incidents, rescuing six survivors and returning five deceased to their families as a veteran rescue worker. With his outstanding sense of smell, strong stamina, and unique meticulousness, Maru stood out among the 34 rescue dogs active nationwide.

Handler Fire Captain Choi Heon (47), who has worked alongside Maru for 6 years and 11 months, said, "Thanks to Maru's abilities, we have never missed a single person in need of rescue," adding, "Because Maru never passed by a person in need, if no one was found in the search area, we could confidently say 'there is no one'."

◆ Trained to detect even smells that are generally undetectable

Search and rescue dogs have a sense of smell more than 10,000 times superior to that of humans and hearing developed over 40 times better. They are especially trained to detect even faint odors that humans generally cannot perceive, such as the subtle scent emitted when human cells divide. Maru’s exceptional ability made him a leading figure in various search and rescue operations within the province.

Maru is searching at the collapse site with handler Choi Heon (47), Fire Sergeant. Photo by Fire Sergeant Choi Heon [Image source=Yonhap News]

In August 2017, Maru found four people who went missing while collecting medicinal herbs in the Mansan-dong valley of Guun-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, returning them safely to their families. In September 2020, he located an elderly man in his 80s who got lost in the mountains after grave clearing in Dunnae-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, within 1 hour and 40 minutes of searching. Maru was especially brave and resilient, never retreating even in harsh search environments. Although it would have been natural to detour through dense bushes and rocky terrain, he was a determined rescue dog who would break through any obstacle when commanded to "go."

Captain Choi praised Maru, saying, "Even for rescue dogs, if foreign substances touch the nose, which is the foremost part of the face, they often hesitate, but Maru never backed down once and overcame every obstacle when ordered to find someone."

Having braved rough scenes, Maru will now retire from his search and rescue duties and start a new life as a "companion dog" in Ok-gye-myeon, Gangneung-si, where Captain Choi lives.

◆ Search and rescue dogs generally retire around 8 years old

Search and rescue dogs typically retire around the age of 8. Rough activities in various mountainous and collapsed terrains often cause critical musculoskeletal damage, leading many dogs to give up their search and rescue titles before turning 8. Many express physical discomfort at retirement, making farewells heartbreaking, but Maru was able to fulfill his duties longer and in good health thanks to his unique meticulous and attentive personality.

Maru concluded his activities on October 4 by safely returning an elderly missing person in their 80s to their family in Seorak-dong, Sokcho-si. On the 10th, the day after Firefighters’ Day, Maru will hold a retirement ceremony at the Yangyang Aviation Unit hangar, where the search and rescue dog center is located, passing on his role to his successor.

Captain Choi, who will continue living with Maru after retirement, said, "I will never forget every scene I shared with Maru. I want to tell him I’m sorry for the one-year delay in his retirement and thank him for all his hard work." He added, "I hope he can now freely run and play on the sandy beach near our home and relax while surfing."