Search & Rescue Dogs

THESE dogs could be the difference between life and death for missing people in Gwent.

Lowland Search Dogs South Wales was set up seven years ago and consists of 12 members who are training six dogs to be search dogs.

The voluntary group - it is applying to be a registered charity - survives off public donations towards the £500 a year running costs.

This pays for insurance and radio equipment.

A seventh dog, a six-year old Border Collie named Sam is now fully qualified and will work with Gwent police in the future.

The group which meets weekly goes out in different areas across Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire with the dogs which are of a variety of breeds and range from two years to six-years-old.

Volunteers, who look after the dogs as family pets for the rest of the week, train the dogs by hiding and pretending to be dead bodies or missing people.

The dogs are then taught to pick up on the human scent to find the “body” or “missing person” and alert their handler.

When the dogs are fully trained, which usually takes between one and two years, they are put through a final assessment before they are classed as fully qualified.

This means that along with their owners they can be called out by police to help with searches for missing people.

All the volunteers are also trained in first aid, navigation and search skills.

The group was also recently awarded a £4,500 grant from the Big Lottery Fund which will be used towards buying communications equipment and protective clothing for the volunteers and dogs.

Philippa Lewis, of Brynmawr, is secretary of the group and owner of Sam, the qualified search dog.

Her other Border Collie, Archie aged two is also being trained.

She said: “It never ceases to amaze me just how much these dogs can do.

“They can pick up on so much more than a normal foot search by humans can.”

Mrs Lewis said any dog can become a search dog. She said owners bring them to an evening class and after instruction and with a "love of working with dogs", they soon learn what is required.

The group is now looking for new volunteers and dogs to join them. For more information contact 07815637254 or visit http://www.sw-searchdogs.org.uk