When Disaster Strikes

A quake rumbles, an avalanche roars, a structure collapses, a twister screams through a town, a hurricane brings destruction, a bomb reduces a building to rubble. Almost before the dust settles, the dog and handler teams are there, searching for victims alive and dead. With a sense of smell far more powerful than man's and an ability to search nooks and crannies that humans cannot get to, these dogs save lives and bring console to the families whose friends and relatives succumbed in the disaster. Search and rescue dogs are the hard-working heroes of disaster relief, but it's all a game to these talented canines. Finding a victim brings a reward – a hug, a treat, a tussle with a favorite toy. The dogs live for the praise, even though it must sometimes be muted in deference to grief.

Just one trained search and rescue dog is better than ten trained human searchers. Their value is unquestionable. Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs are trained to find missing people and save lives. These truly heroic dogs rely on their powerful scenting ability and physical endurance in their work on search and rescue missions. The dog has 125 - 200 million olfactory cells, while humans only have around 5 million. Trained to locate lost or missing persons in a specific area. SAR dogs track human scent - microscopic particles that are carried by the wind for considerable distances. Every person has a unique scent, like fingerprints, and SAR dogs are able to discriminate and sniff out an individual person in a highly populated area. All they need is a sample of that person's particular scent.

The Search and Rescue dog works day or night, rain or shine. They are especially effective where human sight is most limited - in the dark, in dense woods, in heavy brush, in disaster debris, and under water. Rigorous training exercises prepare the SAR dog for future missions where they may have to search for people amidst chaotic conditions, such as after a flood or earthquake. Above all, these dogs are trained to stay focused while trailing a scent in stressful situations. At least one year of training twice a week is needed before a dog can be evaluated and deemed "mission-ready".

Search and Rescue dogs can be any breed or mix of dog that has the desire to work. The dog must have an excellent scenting ability and be large and strong enough to handle a very physical job. They must have lots of stamina, a sound temperament, and be able to work well with other dogs and people.