The Washington County animal shelter is not often the first line of defense against suicide. But over the span of three months, shelter staff intervened with seven people who planned to kill themselves.

Most people who are considering suicide will say yes if asked if they plan to commit suicide. The problem is to know when to ask the question.

An unusual collaboration between the Washington County public health department and the medical examiner's office has figured out a simple way to do that. It appears to be paying off.

Kimberly Repp, an epidemiologist, has earned national praise for a for...