KING COUNTY, Wash. — James Branson and his sidekick Valentino, or "Tino" for short, are busy helping track down and rescue lost or abandoned dogs in King County.
Branson founded Useless Bay Animal Sanctuary to "help lost dogs find their way home." Since 2013, the team at Useless Bay Animal Sanctuary have worked to rescue stray dogs that may otherwise not get help from traditional shelters and rescues.
The name itself is a reference to Useless Bay on Whidbey Island and a symbol of their purpose: "One person's useless is another person's treasure."
Helping lost or abandoned dogs is what led Branson to become a full-time animal search and rescue professional. He formed Three Retrievers Lost Pet Rescue, which serves dogs and cats.
Branson's dog, Valentino, was a puppy of a rescue dog that ended up at Useless Bay Animal Sanctuary years ago. Branson raised and trained Valentino himself.
"There is such a huge need for this kind of work," said Branson, who pointed to the Facebook group Lost Pets of King County as an example.
"On the Lost Pets of King County page we are able to reunite 300-400 lost dogs with their owners every month," said Branson.
Valentino helps to track down lost dogs and “Mu” is focused on finding cats.
The team was called to action this week when four dogs were reported abandoned on Rattlesnake mountain. Branson said animal control officer set up a trap but the dogs were too weary.
It took some time, but Branson was able to approach and eventually calm the seemingly terrified dogs.
"It’s a technique called calming signals," explained Branson. It’s a term coined by Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas to group a large number of behavior patterns that she says dogs actually use to avoid conflict.
Eventually, Branson was accepted into the pack and all four dogs were taken to the King County Animal Shelter. They will be treated and care for before being taken to Useless Bay Animal Sanctuary and placed into foster homes.
Branson admitted his biggest problem is not being able to help everyone who contacts him.
He said he receives nearly 1,000 requests a year and said he has actually focused on putting some helpful information and even tips for tracking your lost pets on his website.