Our first and foremost mission is to help train both handlers and dogs. We are a 100% volunteer organization that does not receive payment for any of our services. We are a new organization and are looking for new members who are interested in training dogs. We can however help interested people in evaluating and obtaining dogs suitable for the type of work the handler desires to do. We do not tra
in your dog for you. We hold regular training sessions as a group to support your growth as your dog's partner. It is your responsibility to train outside of the team as well to accomplish your goals. Training dogs for this type of work takes a sincere commitment and hundreds of hours of training. In order for a K9 team to be allowed to respond for our team, in addition to team approval, they must be certified by an independent agency not associated with our team. Depending on the discipline chosen, outside certifications that will be recognized include those from the National Association for Search & Rescue (NASAR), North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA), American Rescue Dog Association (ARDA), and the Pennsylvania Search & Rescue Council (PSARC). Other certifications may be recognized on a case by case basis. We also can use volunteers to work in support roles with the K9 teams. It takes many skill sets to properly support the K9 teams in the field. This includes people interested working as trained searchers in the field side by side with the K9 teams. First aid personnel are required for both the 2-legged and 4-legged volunteers. People interested in man-tracking and sign cutting are needed. Command post personnel are needed for radio operations, basic logistics and support. We also are looking for people interested in eventually becoming search managers. All personnel who wish to be deployed in the field, including all K9 handlers are expected to obtain certification as a NASAR Tech II. If you have a sincere interest in helping to find missing or lost people, we have a sincere need for you. For our winter hours we currently train every Saturday in the 7 county Philadelphia area and one night a month. We also have a monthly agility/fitness focused Sunday. Please contact us for the locations and times.
