Stella, a 4-year-old rescue pooch, has become one of Whidbey’s most devoted dog detectives, using her nose to help find people who’ve gone missing.

Oak Harbor resident Alli Paul, Stella’s owner, will be speaking about Stella’s life as a K-9 Search and Rescue dog at 4-5 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Oak Harbor Library. The event is part of the library’s once-a-month “Whidbey Wonders” series, said Kate Matwychuk, a library associate for the Sno-Isle Libraries. The series highlights different people or organizations on the island.

The upcoming talk is geared toward teens and adults interested in Stella’s journey in canine search and rescue, as well as dog behavior, odor transmission and volunteer opportunities.

“K-9 Search and Rescue teams are vital to help locate missing or lost people,” Matwychuk wrote in a press release. “Many people don’t realize there is a passionate group of volunteers on Whidbey that form an effective and relied upon K-9 Search and Rescue team.”

As a mom, nurse and volunteer with the Island County Department of Emergency Management, Paul responds to requests for searches on Whidbey and across Western Washington. When needed, the sheriff deploys her and Stella based on specific criteria and training objectives.

“Volunteerism is a big thing,” Paul said. “A lot of times we are looking for individuals who have an interest in being ground search and rescue with us.”

The partnership between Paul and Stella began when Paul rescued the shepherd mix at 12 weeks old. Stella showed an early interest in scent detection, sparking regular training sessions that eventually prepared her for search-and-rescue missions. Despite the seriousness of the work, Stella treats it much like a game, happily channeling her love of sniffing, Paul said.

After two years of training, she earned her certification in May to conduct air scent searches. While her job isn’t to pinpoint a specific person, she will alert her handler to all living humans across roughly 80 acres in about an hour, a skill that can help generate new leads.

Most of Stella’s searches involve people living with dementia or children with autism who have wandered too far, Paul said.

The role requires more than a willing dog. Search canines must be vaccinated, capable and highly scent-driven. Their handlers must also be prepared.

Paul and Stella’s job is by no means easy. Missions can stretch from hours to multiple days and vary depending on the incident. Paul spends 10 to 20 hours training in search and rescue for K-9 and other disciplines. She further instructs CPR and first aid as a volunteer every few months to certify local search and rescue volunteers. As an expert in lost person behavior, she volunteers her time instructing local fire and law enforcement agencies on how to utilize the concepts in searches.

Paul’s multiple county involvement means she is often called upon for different needs throughout the region.

The educational value of the upcoming talk is something Matwychuk emphasized as a vital role of the Sno-Isle libraries.

“I think learning is an ongoing process, she said, “Especially as we’re older we tend to not realize just how much there is out there for us to learn.”

Many breeds can excel in scent work, including labs, bloodhounds and beagles, Paul noted. Whidbey’s uniquely tight-knit K-9 search-and-rescue community feels like “friends training together,” Paul said.

Those interested in training their own dogs can contact the Island County Department of Emergency Management.