Jack, a stocky cattle dog with a graying face that blends into his blue, mottled coat, struts down the mossy trails of western Oregon with purpose. On or off leash, his focus is keenly attuned to his handler and partner, Collette Yee. And it’s not just the yellow dog toy in her hands that draws his attention. The two can read each other’s most subtle cues, and have an unbreakable bond built on years of expert training, mutual reliance, and time together in the field.
For the past six years, Yee and Jack have been nearly inseparable in life and work. They are a part of Rogue Detection Teams, a Washington-based company that focuses on harnessing the unique skills of often unruly and unwanted pets to assist in conservation field research. These dogs are extensively trained to sniff out things far beyond human senses: from bats that hide in crevices to viruses that infect plants, from carcasses frozen deep in snow to all manner of scat.
Yee and Jack have become well known in the conservation detection dog world for the feats they’ve achieved. 
