SARDA Ireland

The Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) is a voluntary organisation that operates throughout Ireland, providing invaluable assistance in missing persons cases. SARDA dogs are trained from a young age to follow human scent and will search for anyone in a given area, often spanning several square miles in difficult and varying terrain and weather conditions. Upon finding a person, the dog will return to their handler and indicate their discovery before leading the handler towards them. They are trained with rewards of play and sometimes food for successfully indicating and leading the handler to their discovery. Their training allows them to focus solely on their task, ignoring distractions and even other animals in the process. With regular and strict assessments, it is ensured that the dogs and handlers are both kept at peak performance levels to maximise their chances of success in the field.