Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association

Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association OVSARDA is a volunteer organization providing trained and certified search dogs and handlers to official agencies upon request.

OVSARDA's HHRD team was deployed to the west coast for the past week, to conduct surveys at 4 different IRS sites. Wor...
05/20/2026

OVSARDA's HHRD team was deployed to the west coast for the past week, to conduct surveys at 4 different IRS sites. Working with scientists and community leaders, dog teams took every task in stride. Team members are all now safely returned home.

OVSARDA deployed two K9 teams, plus flankers/boat drivers, to a local search this past week, at agency request. Dogs se...
05/08/2026

OVSARDA deployed two K9 teams, plus flankers/boat drivers, to a local search this past week, at agency request. Dogs searched a waterway by boat, with drone assistance overhead. Grateful for the donated Girl Guide cookies from 2nd Riverside South Embers! All teams safely returned home.

The team had a busy weekend. First, OVSARDA and Georgian Bay Volunteer Search & Rescue HR teams engaged in a full day o...
04/27/2026

The team had a busy weekend. First, OVSARDA and Georgian Bay Volunteer Search & Rescue HR teams engaged in a full day of detection training on Saturday. Sunday was basic SAR skill recertifications for all team members, conducted every year, to ensure core competencies are maintained.

04/23/2026

BAYSAR Bimaajitoon Search & Rescue Dufferin Emergency Search and Rescue Georgian Bay Volunteer Search & Rescue Huron & Area Search & Rescue - HASAR Lakehead SAR, London Search & Rescue North Shore Search And Rescue Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association O.V.E.R.T (Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team), Peterborough County Specialized Rescue Unit, Rideau Ground Search and Rescue Sault Search and Rescue Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais - Ottawa Volunteer SAR, Timmins Porcupine Search & Rescue Inc.

The team was activated this past week by agency request, to a search for a missing person. Dog teams were able to cover...
04/12/2026

The team was activated this past week by agency request, to a search for a missing person. Dog teams were able to cover large areas of dense vegetation, not easily accessible by other tools, as well as lengthy shorelines. All teams have now safely returned home.

OVSARDA deployed a dog team to a local search last weekend, at agency request. While nothing was found during the searc...
03/23/2026

OVSARDA deployed a dog team to a local search last weekend, at agency request. While nothing was found during the search, we were able to field and test a tool new to us, a GPS tracking collar.

Such a collar means we can now track movement of both dog and handler during their tasking, and can more easily evaluate the thoroughness of the search. These collars bring particular value to searches for unmarked graves.

OVSARDA successfully funded this collar through corporate sponsorship but is hoping to raise enough funds to purchase two more. Approx cost per collar is $1500. If you'd like to support this fundraising campaign, please visit the link:

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ottawa-valley-search-and-rescue-dog-association/campaign/gps-tracking-collars

Spring is in the air, but we opted for another building search training day today. A training schedule drawn up months ...
02/22/2026

Spring is in the air, but we opted for another building search training day today. A training schedule drawn up months ago managed to perfectly overlap with a certain hockey game on this day, but our professionals got their training in regardless! (with phone streaming and live updates of the game by observers)

At -24C, today was an excellent day for building search training! Teams worked drills and problems in live find, eviden...
02/09/2026

At -24C, today was an excellent day for building search training! Teams worked drills and problems in live find, evidence detection and HR. We wrapped up with a Family Feud-style K9 first aid game. We are extremely grateful to have access to such a great training site.

Yesterday two of our K9 teams recertified via annual testing at the OPP K9 Unit in Orillia. Congratulations to Tina an...
11/22/2025

Yesterday two of our K9 teams recertified via annual testing at the OPP K9 Unit in Orillia. Congratulations to Tina and K9 Raider, and Dave and K9 Hank. Thanks to Cliff Samson for evaluating the teams. Good to go for 2026!

This past weekend, a representative from OVSARDA had the honour of speaking to the Canadian Association of Biological An...
11/10/2025

This past weekend, a representative from OVSARDA had the honour of speaking to the Canadian Association of Biological Anthropologists about historical human remains detection dogs (HHRD). Thank you CABA, for the invitation and the warm reception.

Address

3210 Swansea Crescent
Ottawa, ON
K1G3W4

Telephone

+16136679948

Website

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