By Susan Spisak
By day, Loretta Morse Leighton is a Midcoast Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with the goal of helping her patients. In her off-hours, Loretta and her 2-year-old Border Collie, Fairfield, hit the scent trails to find missing dogs--she guesses she’s searched for about forty. She also searches for cats, goats, ferrets, chickens, and rabbits. “It’s natural for me to be able to help others as I can.” Even if she finds a deceased pet, she said it does provide closure for the owner.
The push to this altruistic mission “is kind of mushy,” she said. It came to her a few years ago while she was spending a lot of time with her 88-year-old dad, Kenneth Morse Sr, after he was diagnosed with cancer. “My dad and I were always close,” she explained. So, she spent the next seven weeks with him until he passed, chatting, reflecting on life, journaling, and recording these treasured talks so she could look back on them always.
Loretta asked him what he would wish for after he was gone. “I really want people to do good things for other people, to love one another,” he said. She shared he was one of those people who enjoyed caring for other people in interesting ways. “We weren’t rolling in dough growing up, but he’d often leave produce on neighbors’ doorsteps,” she explained. “I can’t tell you the number of random acts of kindnesses he did.” As he and wife Iona Morse’s income grew a bit, he’d make other anonymous gestures, like arranging for an oil delivery to a family in need.
She wanted to follow his wish and asked herself, “How I am I going to do that?” Finding missing pets was a thought as she volunteers with rescues and is familiar with the plight of strays. She discussed it with her dad and asked if he thought she could do it. Kenneth was certain she could and thought it was a wonderful way to give back. After all, he was an animal lover who’d even built a crude elevator for their family’s aging German Shepherd.
So, her pet tracking business named Fairfield Pet Detective, with the only charges being gas and food (depending on the distance from home base), was up and running. Despite the fact that she and her husband, Herb Leighton, and daughters, Martina and Arianna, have two Newfies, she wanted a dog who would excel with a job. She researched and also turned to Sara Sokol, owner/trainer at Mr. Dog Training, and another service dog trainer for advice. The Border Collie came in as top breed because they’re smart, quick learners, and have great noses.
Loretta found the reputable Lil Maine Border Collies and was thrilled to be able to meet her “Mr. Man” in the December 23, 2021 litter. She did tell her dad before he passed that she’d chosen a pup and named him Fairfield in his honor--it’s her dad’s middle name. She refers to Fairfield as a nose detective, and that’s a nod to her husband, he’s a Maine State Police homicide detective.
Training began the day he came home, scenting for ferrets (her daughter has four “stinky” ones), and they still do three short sessions a day, in all weather conditions. She uses all-positive “match to sample” scenting, which means that if he’s given a scent, he will find a matching scent. He’s been classically trained in five common pet scents so far--rabbit, chicken, ferret, feline, and of course, dog. But even within these species, each individual has its own unique variations of its species scent.
She quickly realized Fairfield was very proficient and he gets so excited when he sees that special harness, “It’s a game to him.” He even lets her know if she forgets a practice session. They have a really neat relationship, she said, adding that they have each other’s backs on the trail.
For field practice sessions, Loretta has asked family members and their dogs to wander into the woods and “get lost” so she and Fairfield, on a long lead, can track them. Martina has texted her to hurry up: “Mom please find me! It’s cold.” She likes it when Herb can accompany them on training or real missions. “I told him when he comes with us it’s nice to have someone else helping us look for clues.”
One of her most interesting searches was for a dog named Axel who got loose while in the care of a sitter. She was called out, and with the help of friend, Sara Evan, tracked Axel for five miles over four hours through the area, ending at the ripped fence to Dragon Cement Company quarry. The Thomaston police department contacted the cement company for admittance approval. “Fairfield was very excited and pulling and yipping. It was a fresh track and obvious the dog had been there. He led us to a steep embankment which was unsafe for all of us.”
As they were heading back, they received a call that Axel was spotted running nearby. The owners drove to the location and low and behold there was Axel, covered in ticks. They were exhausted but happy he was home with his family. Loretta said the people in Thomaston that day were great. “The owners, their family, friends, the police department, and the community members were all amazing. People were following in cars to offer cold bottles of water even. I cannot believe how everyone came together. Such great people.”
In September, she assisted the owners of a lost dog, Bear, in Chelsea by merely providing advice. The dog went missing twenty miles from home, in a place he’d never been. “It is not always appropriate to bring Fairfield out for a search if the missing animal is particularly shy.” Tracking dogs can be harder as they move on quickly, especially if they are frightened. Her fear is that Fairfield might push the skittish dog further away. “His owner did everything asked of her and more.” She put out a sweatshirt for scent and filled the pocket with chicken feed that Bear loved. During the night he took the feed.
The next day, the owner stayed in the area for hours, waiting. Around lunchtime Bear was watching her but was scared. “He was in survival mode. I told her to sit down, don’t look at him and if necessary, lay down. I cannot imagine how much patience and self-control it took for her not to jump up and try to catch Bear. Finally, Bear came up behind her and started sniffing her, kissing her, and then tackled her.” Bear is now safely home being pampered and loved.
Loretta said if a pet goes missing, it’s important to ask for her assistance right away because scents can get rained or snowed out. She will track on her own, with a friend or family, or assist other not-for-profit groups, “In Maine we are so fortunate to have a lot of free help from wonderful volunteers from Maine Lost Dog Recovery and Maine Lost Cat Recovery.” Loretta has a Fairfield Pet Detective Facebook account and cross posts info on lost dogs. For more and to view a map of the area they’ll usually work, pawstofind.com/about.html.
As far as their future endeavors go, Loretta and Fairfield will continue nosing around looking for missing pets, and she’s going to train him in bedbug detection for commercial and residential applications. “I have found a supplier of bedbugs and will be starting that training sometime this winter.”
