Working Dogs for Conservation

From detecting and monitoring low-density cryptic species like snow leopard and wolverine, to the world’s first wire-snare detection dogs, WD4C has led the development of techniques for difficult targets like noxious weeds, cavity-roosting bats, fish, and wildlife diseases. And we are at the forefront of the fight against wildlifeFrom detecting and monitoring low-density cryptic species like snow leopard and wolverine, to the world’s first wire-snare detection dogs, WD4C has led the development of techniques for difficult targets like noxious weeds, cavity-roosting bats, fish, and wildlife diseases. And we are at the forefront of the fight against wildlife trafficking, training dogs to detect ammunition, guns, ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, and more. trafficking, training dogs to detect ammunition, guns, ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, and more.

Pete received a bachelor’s degree with honors in Biology and Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Pete worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society for 10 years, first at their New York Headquarters and then as part of the Africa and North America Programs.

Pete has studied Ferruginous Hawks in North America, avian community ecology in Kenya, and large herbivore ecology and herding systems in Tanzania. He has helped plan and carry out conservation strategies in Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Congo, Cambodia, Tanzania, and the United States. His publications appear in Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation, PLOS (Public Library of Science), Human Ecology, Landscape and Urban Planning, Landscape Ecology, and Science, and he is co-author of the book Conservation: Linking Ecology, Economics and Culture (2005 Princeton Univ. Press).