National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA)

17/06/2026

14/06/2026

The team were called out at 16:00 yesterday, to assist Kent Police searching for a missing person 🐾

12/06/2026

08/06/2026

03/06/2026

🐾 Introducing one of our newest trainee handlers, Dave, and his Labrador, Isla! 🐾

Many of you may already recognise Dave, who is a member of the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation. Over the past several months, he has been attending SARDA Southern Scotland training sessions as a "body" (the person the dogs search for) to gain an understanding of how we train and the commitment required to become a search dog handler.

During that time, Dave became a valued member of the team, so we're delighted to officially welcome him and Isla as they begin their SARDA journey together.

Like all new search dog teams, Dave and Isla have plenty of hard work ahead of them before they can progress towards the call-out list. They spend many hours on the hills and at training sessions building the foundations needed for a successful search dog partnership.

Their first milestone is our internal Grade 1 assessment. At this stage, the focus is on developing the dog's natural desire to find people, learning to work confidently away from the handler, and building a clear indication to let the handler know when someone has been found. The team must also demonstrate an understanding of scent movement and be able to search areas effectively in a variety of environments and conditions.

To achieve Grade 1, Dave and Isla will need to successfully demonstrate the complete "find sequence" in a range of different locations, a 100% success rate is required.

It's an exciting stage in the development of a search dog team, and we're looking forward to following Dave and Isla's progress over the coming months.

Welcome to the team, Dave and Isla! 🐶⛰️

02/06/2026

Lights, Camera, Splash 💦

Yesterday, NSARDA Water Search Dog Buzz & trainee dogs Otto and Scout swapped their usual training sessions for a day in front of the cameras while filming with Matt Baker for an upcoming programme but we can t say any more - YET ! Watch this space.

Set in beautiful Buckinghamshire, the dogs and their handlers demonstrated the different stages of water search dog training, from eager beginners to more advanced search work.

A huge thank you to Great Moor Sailing Club for hosting us and supporting the day. We’re looking forward to seeing the finished programme when it airs. More on that soon.

02/06/2026

Keen to volunteer as a dogsbody but you're not in North Wales?

Get in touch with a SARDA near you:

South Wales - Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales
Southern Scotland - SARDA Southern Scotland
Ireland - Search and Rescue Dog Association (Ireland)
Kent - Kent Search & Rescue Dogs - Nsarda Kent
Isle of Man - Search and Rescue Dog Association (Isle of Man)
Staffordshire - National Search and Rescue Dog Association - Staffordshire
Suffolk - https://nsarda.org.uk/nsarda-associations/nsarda-suffolk/
Cambridgeshire - https://nsarda.org.uk/nsarda-associations/nsarda-cambridgeshire-2/
Isle of Wight
Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) - Severn Area Rescue Association
South East Cornwall Search & Rescue Team (ECSRT)

Or get in touch with other search dog associations around the UK:

Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England - Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England
Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs - Lake District Mountain Rescue Searchdogs
Scotland, except South Search & Rescue Dog Association (Scotland)

Or you can find other local groups associated with either mountain rescue or Lowland Rescue teams in your area.