They answer the call anywhere in the county when someone goes missing and they do it for free.
Volunteers are the driving force behind the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Division.
SAR K-9s follow their noses to find lost, missing and injured people. To sharpen their skills, the SAR K-9 Unit will hold training exercises to always be ready for emergency calls.
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Below are opportunities for media to capture the training and the K-9s in action:
Sunday, May 15
7:30 a.m.
Scripps Business Park
9850 Carroll Canyon Road
Sunday, May 29
7:30 a.m.
Sheriff’s Headquarters
9621 Ridgehaven Court, San Diego
The dogs will smell articles from their handlers, follow a trail of scent and get a reward for finding the object or victim in a mock search. This is a great opportunity for the dogs and their handlers to test and advance their skills in residential or neighborhood areas. Being prepared for that call is what it is all about. When you have a missing person, you are working on a timeline and you need to find them because their life could be in danger.
SAR K-9 Unit members all undergo a five-month academy. Their dogs meet and/or exceed California guidelines for search dogs. There are 15 dogs in the Sheriff’s SAR K-9 Unit. They train once a week. The handler and K-9 recertify every two years.
SAR Logo
The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer unit. Together, they perform wilderness and urban rescues and search for missing persons. Teams are available 24 hours a day to respond to local, state and federal agency requests. They also help the Sheriff’s Department with evacuations during wildfires, flash flood and other natural disasters. To learn more about SAR or to volunteer, click here.
