Search and rescue dog teaches children wilderness safety

Emma being hugged by Joy.

Leah Waarvik, with her dog Emma laying by her side, had just finished reading out loud her book I Sit and Stay to a group of kindergartners at Jefferson Elementary  School in San Francisco.  "Are there any questions?" she asked.  Several small hands went up.  "What if you're lost in the woods and there's no bathroom?"

Waarvik remembers thinking, "These are the kids I really want to teach about safety in the wilderness - city kids!"

And she has been doing just that through the San Francisco SPCA's Puppy Dog Tales (PDT) program.  Having written the book for children to help keep them safe when they are visiting the great outdoors, Waarvik and Emma, a trained Search and Rescue dog, visit elementary school classrooms to educate children how to survive if lost in the woods.

"One thing that seems to capture their attention is that I am a real author and Emma is portrayed in a real book."  I Sit and Stay is filled with real Search and Rescue dogs who demonstrate the primary rule people should follow if lost in the woods: sit and stay which makes it easier for rescuers to locate missing persons.

Waarvik's book in it's design and content is ideal for the PDT program.  She says, "The illustrations match perfectly with the text.  This helps beginning readers with their comprehension."  

And who better to demonstrate the sit and stay method of safety?  Emma, sitting and staying by Waarvik's side, giving the children a sense of safety knowing that she is ready to put her skills to work to search and rescue anyone who needs her.

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