Dog has nose for finding mold

Canine's knack the basis for owners' business

Detecting mold is going to the dogs -- literally. The newest way to locate the decay is through the sniffing faculties of our canine friends.

Erik and Pamela Lundgaard of South Summerlin established Mold Sniffers Inc. this spring (www.moldsniffers .com). They said they are the only ones in the valley to offer such a service.

The service relies on the sniffing powers of Trace, a specially trained 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier.

When she detects mold, she acts much like a bomb squad dog, sitting and indicating from which area-- up, down or to the side -- the smell is emanating.

Rip Campbell, a civil service worker, called in Mold Sniffers after noticing an odd odor in his 1,800-square-foot Henderson home.

"We had an air vacuum test done but I wanted a backup," he said. "So I called them. The dog came in and everywhere it stopped, (it turns out) that's where there was mold."

Mold Sniffers has a contract with a homebuilder in Florida. That company used Trace to ensure its latest development of 1,000 homes was free of mold before selling them. She found it in several units and repairs were made, sparing the buyers a health hazard and the homebuilder big legal problems.

Another job in Florida had Trace hitting on a mold in a custom home's bathroom and nearby walk-in closet. After the mold-laden material was taken out and the repairs all completed, the homeowner had Trace brought back for clearance testing. She hit near the sink cabinet and wouldn't budge.

"The workers said, `She's just doing that because she knows she'll get fed,' " Lundgaard said. "But they hadn't pulled up the carpet and when they did, you could see the residue on the nails of the carpet strip."

Before the dog gets to work, Lundgaard takes a practical approach. He inspects the home, makes a diagram of the floor plan and questions the homeowners about their concerns.

Then it's time for Trace to come inside. Lundgaard goes out to his vehicle (he keeps the air conditioning running for her) and hooks the terrier into her harness. That's the signal that she's going to work. Any hits are sampled and checked by a lab. Mold Sniffer's fees start at $175.

Though no studies are known to measure just how superior dogs' smelling abilities are to humans, Jean Dodds, a Southern California veterinarian with Hemopet who works with animal agencies here in Las Vegas, said it would probably be "several fold."

"They have a higher olfactory nasal detection capabilities and that's why we use them in search and rescue," she said. "It's probably tied into the fight-or-flight survival mechanism."

Linda Stetzenbach, director of the microbiology division of the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said she and her associates often are called out to test for mold.

In the last 10 years, about 600 buildings were tested by her department with an escalation in the last five years. Testing for a three-bedroom home can run $1,200 to $1,500.

"If you have a leak from the rain or a plumbing break, you have about three days before the mold grows," she said. "A rapid response is key."

When mold grows to a certain saturation point, its odor can be noticeable to the homeowner.

On the job, the terrier is seen as a hard worker and valuable tool. At home, Trace is treated like family. She plays with the Lundgaards' great Dane Denver and golden lab Kenya. She is a favorite of little Hannah, perhaps because they are both so small.

Mold Sniffers may only be a few months old but it's responding to homeowners all over the valley. Now that its ad is in the Yellow pages, the company is getting even more calls. The Lundgaards said they may have to buy more dogs.


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