The Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, met the K9 Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers at the Northern Ireland Office’s headquarters in Belfast.
The Conservative MP praised the efforts of the K9 Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers following a meeting on Monday at the Northern Ireland Office’s headquarters.
Mr Heaton-Harris personally thanked the team for the work they do to highlight the issue of missing people in Northern Ireland and further afield, and heard more about the services they provide to those in need. The Secretary of State hailed the “incredible” and “vital” actions of the dogs and their handlers.
K9 Search and Rescue (NI) are a professional all-volunteer canine Search and Rescue team specialising in providing certified area search (live victim) and Victim Recovery canines for coastal, urban, rural and disaster response in Northern Ireland.
Their members are highly trained searchers “first” and will deploy on evidence, recovery, and search missions when the specialised skills of canine teams are required. They collaborate with search teams in NI to provide search and rescue assistance.
K9 Search and Rescue’s mission is to provide and promote Search and Rescue canines and handlers as a resource to UK Coastguard, Police, and the community in the event of an emergency and to advocate public safety.
Their dog teams are trained in air-scent (locating any human in a specific area) live-find and Victim Recovery (body recovery). All handlers are volunteers who provide their own dogs and train several times a month. They pay all related expenses for feeding, veterinary care, travel, and purchase of needed equipment.
Each team is required to pass a national certification (NASDU) prior to participating in search missions.
The Secretary of State heard incredible stories about the important work K9 Search and Rescue (NI) do. For example in October, the dogs were requested to assist in the search for a vulnerable missing lady in Bangor, Co. Down. The lady had ben missing for 40 hours. Police, family and the public had been searching with no trace of her. At 2230 the phone call and the dogs departed at 2240 and started their search at 2250. Black Labrador Max located the missing lady just before 2300, in an area that had been searched at least twice previously. The missing lady required first aid which was provided by the handler before assistance arrived from UK Coastguard, Police and Ambulance.
To donate to K9 Search and Rescue (NI) click here.
For more information click here.
Source: Northern Ireland Office and The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP
