It is with great sadness that the team announce that Charlie passed away following a short illness. He was just a few days away from his 14th Birthday. Charlie was instrumental in finding a number saving the lives of a number of missing people, helped secure a murder conviction and was an ambassador for UK search dogs.

Here’s just a few of his career highlights:
December 2007 – Saved the life of Pauline MUGGLETON – BBC missing live recreation / Dorset Police Media Release 

May 2008 – Located a body in a suitcase helping to secure a murder conviction on two individuals

February 2009 – Searched parts of the Ascension Island (South Atlantic) for a missing member of the community

September 2009 – Located a deceased male in a remote wood in Hampshire

Searched a collapsed structure following a derelict building fire (one homeless male previously located deceased)

Worked along side Dorset fire & Rescue ensuring no persons were trapped under a large landslide at Bournemouth beach.

January 2009 – Helped locate a missing suicidal male on Canford Heath.

May 2008 – Assisted in finding a missing 90 year old male, trapped in mud, with dementia.

2001 – Undertook National Urban Search and Rescue Dog Group assessment to assist the Fire Service in their New Dimensions Project – searching collapsed structures.

Provided demonstrations to Devon and Cornwall Police, assisting them set up their missing person search dogs.

Attended the House of Lords, raising awareness of Search Dogs in general and issues regarding Pet Passports/Quarantine.

Charlie was a phenomenal search dog and will be missed by the Search and Rescue community.

 

 

Dorset Search Dogs have received a donation of £2,750 from Talbot Village Trust to purchase life-saving first aid equipment.

Dorset Search Dogs, which is affiliated to Lowland Rescue, was presented with the funding by the grant-giving charity to purchase two Lowland Rescue First Responder kits, which includes automated external defibrillator (AED) equipment, as well as additional first aid training equipment.

Matt Cooke, chairman of Dorset Search Dogs, said: “We are extremely grateful for this generous donation made by Talbot Village Trust. This is something that we would not have been able to fund ourselves without their help. We obviously hope that we will not need to use the equipment on a regular basis, but given the nature, frequency and circumstances of our work, the equipment will undoubtedly help the team to save lives.”

Matt added that the team often work in remote areas with limited access to power or medical facilities, so if they find a missing person who requires immediate medical attention, they need to provide assistance until an ambulance arrives. He said that the Lowland Rescue First Responder kits would ensure that the team could respond to an incident using the full extent of their skills, including the use of the AED equipment.

Russell Lucas-Rowe, trustee of Talbot Village Trust, said: “We wanted to do all that we could to ensure that Dorset Search Dogs could continue to offer their exceptionally important work to help to look for missing people. It is a fantastic cause and we have no doubt that it proves invaluable to the emergency services when looking across woodland, farmland and along on the shoreline. We hope the charity will continue to operate for many years to come.”

Talbot Village Trust meets biannually, and will be accepting applications for funding from both previous and new applicants in the area before the Trustees meet in autumn of this year. Please go to www.talbotvillagetrust.org for more information.

Media Coverage: Daily Echo Report