Police departments have long relied on the incredible smelling power of canines, but even their sniffing skills have their limits. Bodies of water, for instance, aren’t exactly locations that dogs can traverse easily, hence why oceans and lakes are often spots that criminals might dispose of evidence or victims.

That’s where Splash comes in. Splash is an Asian small-clawed otter specially trained to detect and recover human remains in the water. Hey, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

How exactly did Splash stumble (or swim) upon this unique career normally reserved for dogs? You have his owner, Michael Hadsel, to thank for that.

An image of Splash with his owner, Michael Hadsel @prsark/Facebook

For the last 46 years, forensic diver Hadsel has trained dogs SAR squads, law enforcement, and recovery teams through his Peace River K9 Search and Rescue company. Around 2018, Hadsel began seeing if other animals, like horses, could also be trained to sniff out dead bodies. Then he read an article about fishermen in Bangladesh and India teaching local river otters to chase prey into fishing nets.

Once Hadsel learned that otters are believed to be the only mammals capable of smelling underwater—a feat they achieve by exhaling small, rapid air bubbles from their noses and sniffing them back in—he began attempting to train them to do similar K9 tasks. By 2024, Splash had been adopted and proved to be quite a worthwhile trainee.

A phot of Splash in a pool perfoming his training @prsark/Facebook

According to an interview with Outside, Splash’s training went a little something like this: Hadsel would mark an object with the odor of human remains in a pool. Then, he placed that same smell on a ball on the end of a stick. After Hadsel said the word “Hoffa” (a nod to a Teamsters president who disappeared in the ‘70s), Splash would sniff the ball, dive into the pool, and go searching for the same scent.

If Splash inhaled bubbles with the same odor on the ball, he would swim back and notify Hadsel in exchange for a piece of salmon. Farm-raised only, apparently. “He won’t eat wild salmon,” Hadsel told Outside.

Where Splash could easily smell underwater, hearing was a different story, since otters have a membrane that protects their ears when they swim. But once Hadsel tied a string to Splash and developed a tug language (“One tug is turn right, two tugs is turn left, and three tugs is come back to the boat.”), that would prove to be a minor obstacle.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Following his debut mission in Alabama, where he helped recover a weapon used in a 25-year murder case, Splash has been on 27 recovery missions across the country, and has so far had six confirmed finds, including four bodies. Morbid, sure, but without him, these cases go unsolved.

Splash’s success has turned him into an online sensation. He’s made the Peace River K9 Search and Rescue Facebook page blow up, has been featured by several news outlets, and he’s been invited to multiple law enforcement conferences. He is, after all, the first of his kind.

A photo of Splash's special volunteer badge@prsark/Facebook

Whether or not Splash will be the first of many search and rescue otters remains to be seen, and there are still a few other challenges to face, like how to deal with potential predators in the water. But Splash is a shining example of the awesome power of nature itself, which will always be our greatest collaborator.

In March 2023, after months of preparation and paperwork, Anita Omary arrived in the United States from her native Afghanistan to build a better life. Once she arrived in Connecticut, however, the experience was anything but easy.

“When I first arrived, everything felt so strange—the weather, the environment, the people,” Omary recalled. Omary had not only left behind her extended family and friends in Afghanistan, she left her career managing child protective cases and supporting refugee communities behind as well. Even more challenging, Anita was five months pregnant at the time, and because her husband was unable to obtain a travel visa, she found herself having to navigate a new language, a different culture, and an unfamiliar country entirely on her own.

“I went through a period of deep disappointment and depression, where I wasn’t able to do much for myself,” Omary said.

Then something incredible happened: Omary met a woman who would become her close friend, offering support that would change her experience as a refugee—and ultimately the trajectory of her entire life.

Understanding the journey

Like Anita Omary, tens of thousands of people come to the United States each year seeking safety from war, political violence, religious persecution, and other threats. Yet escaping danger, unfortunately, is only the first challenge. Once here, immigrant and refugee families must deal with the loss of displacement, while at the same time facing language barriers, adapting to a new culture, and sometimes even facing social stigma and anti-immigrant biases.

Welcoming immigrant and refugee neighbors strengthens the nation and benefits everyone—and according to Anita Omary, small, simple acts of human kindness can make the greatest difference in helping them feel safe, valued, and truly at home.

A warm welcome

Dee and Omary's son, Osman

Anita Omary was receiving prenatal checkups at a woman’s health center in West Haven when she met Dee, a nurse.

“She immediately recognized that I was new, and that I was struggling,” Omary said. “From that moment on, she became my support system.”

Dee started checking in on Omary throughout her pregnancy, both inside the clinic and out.

“She would call me and ask am I okay, am I eating, am I healthy,” Omary said. “She helped me with things I didn’t even realize I needed, like getting an air conditioner for my small, hot room.”

Soon, Dee was helping Omary apply for jobs and taking her on driving lessons every weekend. With her help, Omary landed a job, passed her road test on the first attempt, and even enrolled at the University of New Haven to pursue her master’s degree. Dee and Omary became like family. After Omary’s son, Osman, was born, Dee spent five days in the hospital at her side, bringing her halal food and brushing her hair in the same way Omary’s mother used to. When Omary’s postpartum pain became too great for her to lift Osman’s car seat, Dee accompanied her to his doctor’s appointments and carried the baby for her.

“Her support truly changed my life,” Omary said. “Her motivation, compassion, and support gave me hope. It gave me a sense of stability and confidence. I didn’t feel alone, because of her.”

More than that, the experience gave Omary a new resolve to help other people.

“That experience has deeply shaped the way I give back,” she said. “I want to be that source of encouragement and support for others that my friend was for me.”

Extending the welcome

Omary and Dee at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Vision Awards ceremony at the University of New Haven.

Omary is now flourishing. She currently works as a career development specialist as she continues her Master’s degree. She also, as a member of the Refugee Storytellers Collective, helps advocate for refugee and immigrant families by connecting them with resources—and teaches local communities how to best welcome newcomers.

“Welcoming new families today has many challenges,” Omary said. “One major barrier is access to English classes. Many newcomers, especially those who have just arrived, often put their names on long wait lists and for months there are no available spots.” For women with children, the lack of available childcare makes attending English classes, or working outside the home, especially difficult.

Omary stresses that sometimes small, everyday acts of kindness can make the biggest difference to immigrant and refugee families.

“Welcome is not about big gestures, but about small, consistent acts of care that remind you that you belong,” Omary said. Receiving a compliment on her dress or her son from a stranger in the grocery store was incredibly uplifting during her early days as a newcomer, and Omary remembers how even the smallest gestures of kindness gave her hope that she could thrive and build a new life........

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