Mold-sniffing Dog Helps Homeowners Pinpoint Problems

November 28, 2002

Toxic mold has become such a vexing problem that some insurance companies

will no longer pay mold claims. Finding and fixing mold infestations can be

complicated, but now one company has developed an innovative solution.

That solution is a young Labrador Retriever mix named Sydney. The dog offers

a low-tech, but surprisingly effective solution to an alarming problem. Her

owner claims Sydney can find mold other inspections miss. It's believed she

is the first dog in California certified to detect mold.

Sydney's owners boast her nose can beat any machine. " Machines can test the

air, but machines don't tell you where it is, " said Russ Colliau of Mold

Detectives, Inc.

During a demonstration, Sydney alerted her handler to several places

overlooked in earlier inspections. The dog does have one limitation,

however. She can't distinguish toxic from harmless mold.

According to Colliau, Europeans have been using dogs to find mold for a

number of years.

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