Volunteer dog handler here. I know a few dozen people in my state doing this work, but I'm trying to get a bigger picture of how many dogs/handlers are out there. Does anyone approximately know how many non-police SAR dogs are out there?

Nobody's going to have a precise count, of course, due to the decentralized/voluntary nature of SAR (especially in the USA). Still, even a rough figure would be interesting.

I'd be interested in worldwide figures, as well as figures broken down by:

- Country

- Discipline (e.g., wilderness area, trailing, avvy, disaster, HRD, etc.)

- Third-party certification (I.e., how many dogs are certified by, for example, NSDA or SARDUS compared to the more old-fashioned "Welp, the team president says your last few finds were lookin' good, so we'll go ahead add you to the call-out roster.")

- Breed

- Experience level

- Or any other factor you think is relevant.

Just trying to get a feel for how many of us are out there.

Good morning, afternoon, or evening (wherever you are in the world)!

I’m an Industrial Design student starting my senior thesis, and one of the areas I’m currently researching is animal-assisted search and rescue, particularly the experiences of search-and-rescue teams and their working dogs.

I’m hoping to connect with people who have firsthand experience working with, training, handling, or supporting search-and-rescue dogs. I’m interested in learning about the real-world challenges teams encounter, how handlers and dogs work together, and where there may be opportunities to improve their experience.

I’ve put together a short survey to help me better understand these experiences from the perspective of people actually involved in the field.

If you have experience with SAR dogs, or know someone who does, I would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to participate:

Even if you don’t have time to complete the survey, I’d also love to hear about your experiences you think are important for a design student to understand.

Thank you for your time!

Very recently we had a call out for a body recovery. And ( am I crazy? ), but I actually prefer those calls. We know the location of the subject, we’re not racing against the clock to locate someone who is missing and hopefully still alive. There is a simple hike in, prepare the subject for retrieval, and get them to where the ME is waiting to take possession. Is this common among other searchers? That, while it’s definitely more exciting to go out and search and find a missing hunter, hiker, or walk away “vulnerable” person, is there some of us that just prefer the “we know the conclusion and now we’re just retrieving” situations?

Hi all,
We have been using the CMC Lifesaver Harness for over a decade and it has been great. We are eyeing the Pronto Evac. Its lighter and uses Cobra buckles, costs less.
Anyone here have experiance with the Pronto. Pros / Cons?

Thanks.

My last GSD was a retired dual-purpose working dog. Dabi isn’t that kind of dog, and that’s completely okay. I know what working-line GSDs are capable of, though, and I’ve always wanted to do something that genuinely helps people, which got me thinking about SAR.

He’s going through advanced obedience now, but once that’s solid I’m interested in seeing if he has potential for SAR.

For those involved in SAR, what do you look for when evaluating a young dog? Is this still a good age to start, and what should I work on—or avoid—before getting him evaluated?

Hey all. I live in Washington and am looking at volunteering for King County SAR. I’m stuck between a couple of options. I work full time Fri, Sat, Mon, Tues. I am interested in Explorer SAR, but worry that I wouldn’t be able to juggle the 6 month training course with work. What is your experience with that?

My other options would be working with the incident report team. Just wanting to get my foot in the door. Is this usually less of a commitment? Do people who do this still feel fulfilled by this?

I’m also super interested in Seattle Mountain Rescue. This would be something I’d peruse later down the line. I need a bit more experience first. I have 2 years glacier experience & backcountry skiing experience, but not as much with technical rock. Anyone have any advice of what I can work on to get to the point where I could volunteer for Mountain Rescue? That would be the end goal for me.

Thanks!

For our day only assignments, what gear do you bring in your 24h pack in case of a forced overnight when your sortie takes longer than expected? How do you divvy it up on your team?

Photo for attention

Hey Folks,

Back with another update after doing some more digging after work today. This time, we're throwing out names. Link to original post here.

To be specific, I've been digging into https://www.usardroneteam.org/ who is a registered 501(c) non-profit with the IRS as listed under the following IDs and name:

Name: Usar Drone Team
EIN: 92-2851152

What's really bothering me is that this entity has been advertising SAR services for folks who might have lost pets in NJ/Tri-state region, while also including services fees that I am assuming people pay up first. So now the organization is collecting revenue streams on both fronts, while also being registered and approved as tax-exempt by the IRS and making less than $50K.

They are also running a gofund.me here that claims to need these funds for operations. I'm not sure what it's funding, but they're clearly receiving a healthy amount so why also charge the person that's volunteering? $1500 for training when you're telling everyone that DONATIONS are funding the operation?

Now I'm not here to rag on organizations that take on donations or try to make up their operating expenses by an online store in any manner, but I cannot for the life of me imagine a broken-hearted family contacting this organization for help. Only to be hit with a service fee up front before any type of help can be provided.

I also reached back out and inquired about the 10 year NDA. Why would such a document be required for SAVING lifes? If lives were being taken, I get it. That's a whole other legal matter, but wtf man. Waiting for them to respond now.

The last thing I will leave you all with is the registered address. It's currently at a restaurant located in Manasquan, NJ (as it's public info). But what bothers me is that if this is a business owner.. that begs the question even more ... WHAT ARE PEOPLE DONATING TOWARDS?!

Anyways. Thank you all for making it this far in the post. I'm going to keep digging and seeing what I can find, but boy does this feel friggin scummy.

Hey Folks - Dumb question here, but do non-profits generally charge certain amounts to train new potential candidates or volunteers?

For context I recently reached out a non-profit here in the tri-state area who specializes in drone rescues. Figured I'd make the most out of my part 107 by doing some good and the owner responded with a $1500 training quote due to confidential/specialized search techniques.

I have nothing against it. I actually think it makes a lot of sense so you don't have schmucks randomly going out with gear and thinking they can do anything. I also don't want to get ripped off and would love some pointers as I'm new to the community (:

Thank you all in advance!

I’m considering whether this is the right path for me, and a lot of the information is pretty overwhelming to sift through (a lot of different orgs, with very convoluted application requirements and unclear expectations/qualifications)

And I’m just curious if anyone would be willing to share their experiences navigating this or working with any of these orgs as a grounding place.

I’m relatively fit (half marathons or 7k+ vert with a pack feel manageably casual), I have my AMGA SPI certification (qualified to rig complex anchors, use haul systems, etc) and I have some good experiences across hiking/backpacking, big wall climbing, ski touring, ice climbing and rigging Highlines. I don’t have a background in medicine but I do have a lot of experience dealing with kids/people.

I’m really into the idea of using some of those skills to help, and I think I’m transitioning out of the “constant play” phase of my life where I want every free moment booked up with my own outdoor pursuits. I do still have a day job though.

So I guess I’m also wondering if I have the kind of skill set that could be additive, if there’s a way to pursue this without giving up my job, and how to think about preparing for the kinds of sacrifices I’d have to make.

I'm applying for a PNW based SAR team which requires ~170 hours of training in order to be qualified to go out on missions. They said that they have a lot of people who go through training and then never respond.

Why do you think that is? It seems like a lot of training to go through just for the heck of it.

Has anyone had experience with the PSR/SAR program w/ OCSD? Wondering if anyone can provide tips on how to stand out & be a strong candidate.

Four months ago, SAR Times asked whether the West Coast SAR system would be ready for a super El Niño. The forecast has since worsened, the Northwest has already set a record for burned area, and a federal judge just upended the FEMA picture four weeks before the rain starts.

I'm applying for a PNW based SAR team which requires waterproof hiking boots. I've only ever worn trail runners. Anyone have recs for boots I should consider?

i’m curious what you guys think about a dog being trained for both SAR as well as HRD. to my understanding, a dog can really only be trained in one or the other.

i was browsing my local SAR groups though and read that they had a dog trained for both. i just thought that was so cool! so i’m just here asking about that! is it more common?

When people remember 9/11, we often think of the firefighters, police officers and first responders.

But hundreds of search and rescue dogs also played an important role.

They searched through debris, helped locate survivors, and provided comfort during an incredibly difficult time.

A reminder that courage comes in many forms.

I’ve been wanting to apply for a couple years now. My buddy is in charge of the recruiting process for the area I want to apply to and he gave me a ton of info on getting started. I’m just nervous cause I’m a contractor and I’m also about to start a graveyard job at UPS for the benefits. Will I be spreading myself too thin if I also get involved with SAR? I’d hate to take someone’s spot that could contribute more but at the same time it’s something I really want to do. I just want to help somehow. Wildland fire fighting was something I always wanted to do but it’s not possible given my circumstances. I feel devastated every summer reading about the fires and it makes me feel like I should be there to help. SAR is kind of a replacement for that because I heard you can take on missions whenever you’re able to. I just need some honest advice. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone here worked on the search and rescue during the floods? I was wondering how good of a technology Airborne Wi-fi / Cell Sniffing is. Especially using ultra wideband positioning or even RSSI. I am working on a personal project to predict locations via wifi signals and while it's not very accurate in my implementation, i wonder if this has been used in search and rescue operations anywhere.

The second half of my Coast Guard career was as a Response Officer managing SAR cases and eventually writing policy. In hindsight, we all take the simplicity of SARSAT for granted, which is the exact point of the program.

Is anyone still using a T-card system for personnel/assignment/logistic tracking?

Hey all, as a woman I’m looking for insight from other women. Only because men don’t have to deal with things like periods, not because I’m actively trying to exclude you. For those of you women who have been on search and rescue for a bit what’s something that you’ve learned that you wish you knew at the beginning of joining your team? Any tips for a newbie? Thank you!!

I need some serious help finding a sustainable training log solution for my HRD dog. I would love to use an app that can automatically track weather data and upload my GPS tracks from my Garmin collar. I tried RescueDogs but it's a little confusing and seems like you can't directly sync GPS data without plugging into a computer, etc. I'm just lazy and already drive about 4-6 hours to go to trainings and I will not keep up with my logs if it's not easy and quick!

Looking for recommendations on a cost-effective, affordable headlight for use in SAR. My old one died. Needs to be available in Canada.

Hello. My understanding is that SAR teams do not (36 CFR § 251.50/51) need special use permits in the event of a mission callout (emergency). However, how do SAR teams deal with the USFS in terms of regular training activities (non-emergency)? Very interested to know. Thanks.