Every year thousands of people are reported lost or missing in this country. They range from lost hikers and boaters to missing children and Alzheimer’s patients. It is reported that more then 30,000 Alzheimer’s patients alone wander from their home or care centers each year. Finding these people in the shortest amount of time possible is critical to their survival. Assisting law enforcement personnel in searching for the lost or missing is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, the North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association (NCSARDA).

Well-trained dogs and their handlers are a valuable part of search and rescue operations. Search dogs are trained to detect human scent, such as perspiration, decomposition and respiratory gases. Training begins at an early age and continues throughout the search dog’s career. Dogs are also trained in obedience skills and working skills with their human handler. Dogs are trained to perform searches in wilderness areas, disaster areas and in cadaver recovery.

Dogs that work in disaster areas, including the NCSARDA dogs, are trained to Federal Emergency Management standards. Dogs can be trained in air scenting, where they will follow diffused or wind borne scent to its source. Tracking dogs are trained to follow ground disturbances such as disturbed earth or crushed vegetation to its source. Trailing dogs will follow a specific scent of an individual along the person’s path in searching for a victim. Handlers have to be constantly aware of temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity and other atmospheric conditions that can affect search conditions.

The North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association is a group of highly-trained dogs and handlers who assist local law enforcement and emergency management personal in search and rescue operations. Many law enforcement agencies do not have the resources to perform these searches on their own. The NCSARDA has about 18 dogs throughout North Carolina that respond to requests for searches in North Carolina and surrounding states. They are always available to assist law enforcement, fire, forest services and other agencies. The dogs are trained to work in all types of terrain from rugged mountain wilderness to major population areas. The NCSARDA volunteers devote hundreds of hours each year in training and actual searches. Dogs and their handlers can travel thousands of miles each year and be away from their homes several days at a time, all at their own expense.

Dog handlers, who must be trained in search procedures first, come from all areas of society. Some are fire personal and rescue squad members who receive training in such areas as navigation, lost person behavior and canine first aid. When asked how he got involved in search dogs, NCSARDA member Richard Schaffer stated,” We come from all walks of life…We all love dogs, and we all enjoy rescue work. We just were lucky enough to put the two together.” There are three dog teams based in the Watauga/Avery county area of North Carolina, and they respond to about 70 searches a year. Two of the handlers in this area are members of the local Linville-Central Rescue Squad. The area teams have been busy in the past month with, according to Richard Schaffer, “16 searches since June 16th.” Those searches have included several suicides, a homicide, several lost Alzheimer’s patients and several lost hikers.

Expenses are high when it comes to being an organization that is entirely made up of volunteers. Fund raising proceeds at the NCSARDA go towards assisting unit search and rescue operations. When asked how people can help, Richard Schaffer responded, “Education, for one thing. Understand what types of people become endangered and be aware of how to prevent it. For example, educate families and caregivers about Alzheimer’s and dementia patients…and what to do if they are missing. Hikers and hunters, and even families with children who are outdoors together, should know how to find their way, and what to do if they get lost. Boaters should better understand water safety, families should know what to do in a natural disaster… If fewer people went missing, maybe we wouldn’t be needed.”

If you would like to help this valuable organization visit their website at www.ncsarda.org and make a contribution to the address provided. You can also purchase a “Search and Rescue Dog Supporter Travel Pillow from DeWoolfson Down in Foscoe, NC. Information on purchasing a travel pillow is available on the NCSARDA website. DeWoolfson donates 50% of all proceeds from the sale of these pillows to the NCSARDA Emergency Operations Fund.

Representatives from the North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association will be at the Mast General Store Annex in Valle Crucis, North Carolina on Saturday, July 19th from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. They, and their dogs, will be on hand to answer questions about their organization. For more information contact the Mast General Store Annex at 828-963-6511 ext 264.

All dog photos are from the North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association website.