Clancy, the Mercury Sniffing Dog

Some are fortunate enough to be able to work productively with a beloved pet who has a serious life mission. Carol Hubbard works with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in St. Paul. Her working companion is a dog named Clancy. Clancy is trained to sniff out mercury and is able to detect as little as a half gram of it. Clancy and Carol Hubbard work in schools where Clancy locates mercury spills that can occur in science classrooms where students handle thermometers and barometers.

Dogs have a remarkably keen sense of smell and this trait has been put to good use by the military and by law enforcement agencies. Clancy puts his talent to use in the environmental field. The students in schools are not surprisingly receptive to Clancy whose appeal extends beyond the service he provides.

Science Daily features an article and video about Clancy, Carol and their work. It took only about two months to train Clancy. The article is informative and entertaining.