Madeleine's last movements tracked by the GNR sniffer dogs.

[VIXTE]

I find it interesting that both dogs followed a trail to apartment 5j and am puzzled as to why the fridge had been left open allowing the food inside to rot.

>>>Clip<<< At about 23.00 accompanied by a PJ inspector, the searches were begun. After Rex was given the girl's clothing to sniff, he began to search on the ground floor of block 5 and when he passed the door of apartment 5 A (the place the girl had disappeared from) according to his handler, officer Fernandes, the dog altered its behaviour, sniffing with greater intensity than he had done before. Apartment 5J of the same block was also checked as the dog had been more agitated than before as if there were a very strong strange odour there. It was stated that this apartment had been unoccupied for some time. Afterwards, the same kind of search was carried out using the dog Zarus which in general terms showed the same behaviour in the same places as Rex had done.

 It was only when all the searches of the apartments in blocks 4 and 5 were complete, that the behaviour described above was registered. It is certain that this kind of work does not correspond to the area that these dogs were trained in, but given that these types of dogs manage to discriminate a specific odour from others, although it could be a remote possibility that they related the odour of the missing girl with a possible location where she could have been.

On 10th May at about 20.10, upon the request of the PJ, searches were carried out in all of the apartments belonging to blocks 4 and 5 of the OC, two tracker dogs and two search and rescue dogs being used for this operation, adopting the same methods as those used on 7th May, just that this time the apartments were all open and searched one by one, being accompanied by a representative from the resort, who had the keys to all the apartments (apart from those not under her administration) and also with the objective of helping with the searches. The collaboration of all the guests occupying the apartments at that time was requested for this purpose and those apartments that were found to be empty were opened by the administrator.

 All the apartments were searched by the dogs and when they arrived at apartment 5 J they began to sniff with intensity at the entrance door. During this behaviour it was noted by the PJ officers that there must be some unusual odour, but which with all certainty did not have anything to do with the odour being searched for, but there must have been something strange inside.

 After entering the apartment, it was observed that the dour came from close to the fridge, which was open and contained some rotting meat and vegetables.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm#p13p3517

Yes, I have seen these and read it at least 5 times.. This is one of the reports.
I notice here the first date of search is noted as 7th, which is incorrect. The first dogs searches were performed on the May 4.

[pegasus]

Re the route followed by several GNR dogs to car park south of G6.
1. A trail ending in a car park indicates entry into a vehicle.
2. If the scent source was a towel used by the victim, the possibility exists that the towel might further have been used by another person (a person during the early search period using the 5A bathroom and washing and drying their hands). So now the towel has two or more person's scents on it. Presumably the GNR dogs would select the strongest of the several persons' scents on a towel, therefore the trail to that car park may possibly be not of the victim.

[VIXTE]

Re the route followed by several GNR dogs to car park south of G6.
1. A trail ending in a car park indicates entry into a vehicle.
2. If the scent source was a towel used by the victim, the possibility exists that the towel might further have been used by another person (a person during the early search period using the 5A bathroom and washing and drying their hands). So now the towel has two or more person's scents on it. Presumably the GNR dogs would select the strongest of the several persons' scents on a towel, therefore the trail to that car park may possibly be not of the victim.

It was not towel that was given to GNR dogs.. it was the pink blanket that Madeleine was covered with while sleeping. (I read somewhere else that the dogs actually chose this blanket among other items belonging to Madeleine)
They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

From statement of Carlos Manuel Carvalho Lacão, GNR Officer :

They just talked to some colleagues from the PJ and asked for a piece of clothing that Madeleine had worn or used recently. They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

They began searching with the dogs from the main entrance to the apartment, having given the blanket to his dog Numi to smell and begin to search.

[Martina]

It was not towel that was given to GNR dogs.. it was the pink blanket that Madeleine was covered with while sleeping. (I read somewhere else that the dogs actually chose this blanket among other items belonging to Madeleine)
They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

I see here a pink comforter, but no blanket big enough to cover the child.

And Pedro Estevez, the dog handler stated:

On the 4th of May of the current year, around 22H30, he was asked to use the dogs in conjunction with a search that attempted to retrace the steps taken by the missing minor. His role was to use the dogs' skills by allowing them to sniff a towel which had supposedly been used by the minor in question.

Above statement is corroborated by his colleague, Antonio Silva:

He remembers that on the 4th of May of the current year, around 23H00, they attempted to tentatively identify and thus reconstruct the path taken by the missing minor. They gave the dogs a Turkish bath towel which was supposedly used by the child in question.

[VIXTE]

This is traditional blanket which almost every child in the uk has..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snugly-Soft-100-Cotton-Cellular-Baby-Blanket-Pram-Cot-Crib-or-Mosses-Blanket-/310794731170?pt=UK_Baby_NurseryBedding_RL&var=610219256675&hash=item485ccf3ea2

I believe Madeleine's blanket was of this sort and it was what was given to GNR officers.

There is no chance these dogs followed someone else's scent.

[Brietta]

I see here a pink comforter, but no blanket big enough to cover the child.

And Pedro Estevez, the dog handler stated:

On the 4th of May of the current year, around 22H30, he was asked to use the dogs in conjunction with a search that attempted to retrace the steps taken by the missing minor. His role was to use the dogs' skills by allowing them to sniff a towel which had supposedly been used by the minor in question.

Above statement is corroborated by his colleague, Antonio Silva:

He remembers that on the 4th of May of the current year, around 23H00, they attempted to tentatively identify and thus reconstruct the path taken by the missing minor. They gave the dogs a Turkish bath towel which was supposedly used by the child in question.

4th May
After the officers had been updated about facts relating to the disappearance, they tried to reconstruct the route the girl might have taken with the two tracker dogs. For this purpose the dogs were given a blanket to sniff, provided by the parents, which had been used by Madeleine.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm#p13p3517

[Martina]

4th May
After the officers had been updated about facts relating to the disappearance, they tried to reconstruct the route the girl might have taken with the two tracker dogs. For this purpose the dogs were given a blanket to sniff, provided by the parents, which had been used by Madeleine.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm#p13p3517

Two dog handlers speaks about the towel. One of them, Antonio Silva, even describes it as a Turkish bath towel. Are you trying to suggest, that they did not know what they saw?

And I still don't see any big pink/orange blanket on Maddie's bed.

[VIXTE]

If you don't see a pink blanket on that bed I suggest you go visit an optician.

The pink blanket belonging to Madeleine has been given to GNR officers and the sniffer dog followed Madeleine's last scent.

All 4 of them.

[Brietta]

Two dog handlers speaks about the towel. One of them, Antonio Silva, even describes it as a Turkish bath towel. Are you trying to suggest, that they did not know what they saw?

And I still don't see any big pink/orange blanket on Maddie's bed.

Martina, don't ask me.  Ask the PJ ... I only c/p what is in the PJ files, and you will see it clearly says pink blanket.

[misty]

It was not towel that was given to GNR dogs.. it was the pink blanket that Madeleine was covered with while sleeping. (I read somewhere else that the dogs actually chose this blanket among other items belonging to Madeleine)
They were given a pink/orange blanket that the child had been covered with in her bed.

Wrong dogs.
The  search & rescue dogs - Rex & Zeus -  deployed at 2300 hrs on 4th May were given the Aztec towel, which they used again on the 9th.
The GNR patrol dogs (not search &rescue trained) were the first ones deployed & they were given the pink blanket.

[pegasus]

Wrong dogs.
The  search & rescue dogs - Rex & Zeus -  deployed at 2300 hrs on 4th May were given the Aztec towel, which they used again on the 9th.
The GNR patrol dogs (not search &rescue trained) were the first ones deployed & they were given the pink blanket.

It would be interesting to know what room that aztec towel was in.
If in bathroom it might have been used by peeps going bathroom during early search period.
If in another room then probably not.

[Martina]

Martina, don't ask me.  Ask the PJ ... I only c/p what is in the PJ files, and you will see it clearly says pink blanket.

So I will copy a quote you used once more.

4th May
After the officers had been updated about facts relating to the disappearance, they tried to reconstruct the route the girl might have taken with the two tracker dogs. For this purpose the dogs were given a blanket to sniff, provided by the parents, which had been used by Madeleine.

Is there stated anywhere it was pink? Nope.
What is more, the two dog handlers clearly described a towel, specifying even that it was a bath towel. They were there and saw the item the McCanns gave. The person writing the report most probably did not. So how do you think, who might make a mistake?

[misty]

It would be interesting to know what room that aztec towel was in.
If in bathroom it might have been used by peeps going bathroom during early search period.
If in another room then probably not.

Assuming that the towels were supplied by OC, & were probably identical, I don't see how anyone, even the McCanns, could have been 100% sure which towel Madeleine had used. 3 children there, 2 adults who both bathed that night. Some may even suggest DNA from another of the Tapas group!!
Wonder who selected the towel to give to the dogs, bearing in mind Kate & Gerry were at the police station for most of the day & went back to another apartment?

[Martina]

Wrong dogs.
The  search & rescue dogs - Rex & Zeus -  deployed at 2300 hrs on 4th May were given the Aztec towel, which they used again on the 9th.
The GNR patrol dogs (not search &rescue trained) were the first ones deployed & they were given the pink blanket.

I was under the impression that we were talking here about Rex and Zarus (not Zeus), that followed what is supposed to be the last route of Maddie from the apartment to the parking lot. And in the reports it is not mentioned that the Portimao patrol dogs were given anything to sniff.

[misty]

I was under the impression that we were talking here about Rex and Zarus (not Zeus), that followed what is supposed to be the last route of Maddie from the apartment to the parking lot. And in the reports it is not mentioned that the Portimao patrol dogs were given anything to sniff.

Sorry, I stand corrected over the name of Zarus, it's a while since I read the full report.
The GNR dogs must have been given something to scent - otherwise, what was the point?
And Brietta is quite correct - the final GNR report on the s&r dogs is factually different from the statements given by their handlers Silva & Fernandes regarding the items used for scenting.  (Too tired to cut & paste all the relevant bits now)