Story Outline

Using Dogs to Sniff Out Mold in Homes From a news story by CNN San Francisco Reporter James Hattori May 2003

1. A dog named Sydney is sniffing for mold.

A. She wants to find mold spores.
B. She is sniffing all around Laura Herlow's house.
C. When she smells mold, she sits (called passive alert)

2. Sydney has special training to sniff mold

a. She is one of about ten animals trained to do this.
b. She was trained for hundreds of hours by a police dog trainer
c. Now she's certified to detect mold.

3. Laura Herlow's young son suffers from epileptic seizures.

a. She was frustrated that other mold contractors couldn't find mold.
b. She says she trusts a dog to do a better job.

4. Sydney sat and workers found mold nearby

a. Mold is usually found within three or four feet of the dog.
b. Workers found mold in an unlikely spot by the shower.
c. Other mold companies never looked there.
d. Now a mold cleanup company can eliminate the mold.

5. Mold-sniffing dogs are new in the United States

a. Dogs have long been used in the US to detect drugs and bombs.
b. In the last few years, people have begun using them here to detect mold.
c. Mold-sniffing dogs have been used in Europe for a long time.

6. Mold-sniffing dogs have big advantages.

a. Dogs can find the mold for less than $500.
b. Dogs can pinpoint the source of mold quickly and more precisely.
c. Traditional methods may costs thousands of dollars and take many weeks.

7. Jenelle Nary is convinced dogs do a good job finding mold.

a. She spent years suffering from pain, respiratory problems and lack of sleep.
b. Sydney found toxic mold in her bathroom and under her bedroom where nobody could see it.

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