Sunny is trained to detect the scent of mold associated with water-damaged building materials. During an inspection, he searches the home and alerts to areas where that odor is present.

His job is to help narrow down where mold may be hiding, especially in places you can’t see, like behind walls, under flooring, or around windows and leaks. Because he’s working off scent, he can often pick up on areas that wouldn’t be obvious during a visual inspection.

Sunny was professionally trained in January of 2026 by Matt Skogen of IronHeart Training in Kansas, using real mold related scent sources in realistic setups. He’s used to finding hidden odor in the same kinds of environments we’re walking into.

He’s ball-trained, so he’s working for his ball the whole time. It’s his favorite thing which keeps him focused and makes his alerts consistent.

There can be a few reasons for this. Mold isn’t always visible, and not all inspections are designed to find hidden sources. It can be behind walls, under flooring, or in areas that aren’t easily accessed.

Sometimes testing shows something is present but doesn’t point to where it’s coming from. And sometimes everything comes back “normal,” even when something is being missed.

If something still feels off in your environment, it’s worth continuing to look into it.

You absolutely can, and often times you should. The problem is a lot of testing tells you that mold is present, but not where it’s coming from.

That’s where Sunny comes in. He helps narrow things down so you’re not spending money testing the wrong areas or opening the wrong walls. He’s just one piece of the mold detection puzzle. We highly recommend an ERMI if you aren’t sure where to start.

We take Sunny’s health very seriously, and as someone who is mold sensitive myself, I would never put him in an environment I wouldn’t feel safe entering too.

His exposure during inspections is brief and purposeful. He’s trained to detect scent, not stay in contaminated areas for long periods of time. Like any working dog, his job involves short, targeted searches followed by immediate reward and removal from the space.

Outside of inspections, Sunny lives in a clean environment, spends plenty of time outdoors, and is monitored closely to make sure he stays healthy and thriving.

Nothing major, just a few simple things:

• Move furniture or items slightly away from walls if possible

• Keep floors and areas of concern as clear as you can

• Put away other pets if needed

• Avoid strong scents like candles or sprays before the inspection

• Keep food on the counters, not on the floor

Think of it similar to prepping to paint, you don’t need to empty the room, but having access to the walls and baseboards makes a big difference.

Sunny must be able to reach and sniff the wall or area of concern to alert, so having those spaces clear helps him do the most accurate search possible.

Before each inspection, I’ll have you sign a quick agreement and send over a few tips to help everything run smoothly!

Pricing varies depending on the size of the home and your location from Virginia Beach.
Feel free to reach out, we’d be happy to give you a quote for your space.

Yes. A discount is offered for post-remediation inspections if we completed the initial inspection.