Meet The Mollusk-Sniffing Dog Protecting Washington's Waterways

LIBERTY LAKE, WA —Invasive mussels better steer clear of this Jack Russel.

State wildlife officials this week debuted their newest weapon in the fight against invasive mollusks: Puddles, a 2-year-old Jack Russel terrier-mix who can sniff out larval zebra and quagga mussels stuck on boats.

Those two invasive species came to the U.S. in the 1980s on ships that traveled from Eurasia, and they've cost governments and businesses billions. They harm the environment by gobbling algae and piling onto the shells of native mussels. The mussels also clog water intakes at power plants and dams, and they're difficult to clean off.

Puddles will work at the state's watercraft-inspection stations, allowing wildlife officials to eliminate the mussels before they can enter waterways. It's against state law to transport the invasive mussels into Washington.

"Invasive mussels can impact our state’s water quality, power and irrigation systems, wildlife and recreation," Washington Invasive Species Council executive coordinator Justin Bush said in a statement. "We all need to work together to prevent invasive mussels from changing our way of life and harming resources we value. In many ways, invasive mussels would change what it means to be a Washingtonian."

Puddles wasn't always bound for such an important job. She was surrendered to the Green Dog Project shelter in Fresno, Calif., but workers there saw her potential. The shelter works with the group Mussel Dogs, which trains dogs to sniff out the invasive mollusks.

Paid for by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, State Department of Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Pam Taylor recently spent two weeks training with Puddles and Mussel Dogs in the Southwest at national recreation areas.

But Puddles can't sniff out every mussel. State officials urge boaters to do their part to prevent invasive species from getting into waterways. Here are some tips from WDFW:

• Clean: When leaving the water, clean all equipment that touched the water by removing all visible plants, algae, animals and mud. This includes watercraft hulls, trailers, shoes, waders, life vests, engines and other gear.
• Drain: Drain any accumulated water from watercraft or gear, including live and transom wells, before leaving the access point to the water.
• If transporting watercraft from outside Washington State, clean and dry everything: Once home, let all gear fully dry before using it in a different water body.
• Just draining and letting your watercraft and gear dry may not sufficiently remove some invasive species. In this case, call the State’s aquatic invasive species hotline (1-888-WDFW-AIS). Be prepared to provide the state and water body where your watercraft was used and whether you decontaminated your watercraft before you left that state. In certain conditions, WDFW will require a free intensive decontamination upon entry into Washington.