The latest exercise to test the multi-agency response to finding missing people in Dorset was held on Brownsea Island on Friday 8 December 2017.

Specially trained officers from Dorset Police were joined by colleagues from the Coastguard, RNLI, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, Dorset Search and Rescue, Hampshire Search and Rescue Dogs, Dorset Search Dogs and the Royal Life Saving Society as well as the NPAS helicopter.

The first live scenario they encountered involved three missing people, including a 10-year-old boy, and a second scenario involved a vulnerable man who had been reported missing.

The services worked together to plan and co-ordinate the search and locate the missing people.

Earlier this year an exercise was held in Holt Heath Nature Reserve after officers took part in a week-long specialist training course to become Lost Person Search Managers to further improve the Force’s capability for finding missing people.

The Brownsea Island exercise also marked the completion of Dorset Police’s second training course for a further 11 Lost Person Search Managers.

Superintendent Mike Rogers, of Dorset Police, said: “Exercises such as this are a valuable way of testing the response of the various agencies involved to major incidents, the roles they each play and how they work together in such scenarios.

“They help us test our plans and resilience and ensure that our staff are up-to-date with the latest practice.

“I would like to thank all the personnel from the various agencies and organisations who contributed to the exercise as well as the National Trust for its permission and support to run the event on Brownsea Island.”

Dorset Search Dogs has received a boost to its funds after kind-hearted colleagues at the nearby Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) depot held a bake sale to raise money for the volunteer organisation.

Workers from the SSEN Poole depot had heard that Dorset Search Dogs was hoping to purchase an infra-red camera, which enables search crews to pick up heat signatures when they’re called into action in the hunt for missing persons.

As the SSEN team had already tackled Dry January and Veganuary, they decided that the rewards of baking were just what was needed to help them raise funds for the local organisation, which provides search and rescue support 24 hours a day – all year round – and relies on donations from members of the public and local companies to operate.

Through the sale of scones, sponges and strawberry tarts, the team raised a total of £200 to contribute to the purchase of the much-needed camera equipment.

Matt Yates, Community Relationship Manager for the region acted as both baker and banker for the fund-raiser and said: “Dorset Search Dogs is a well-known local organisation that functions purely through donations and when we heard that they were looking to buy such an important piece of kit, we didn’t hesitate to help. We’d all tackled the alcohol- and meat-free months at the start of the year, so we knew we needed something a bit more indulgent to get our colleagues to part with their cash and a bake sale was the perfect option.

“We know the service that Dorset Search Dogs provides to the local community is vital and we hope the money we have raised helps them to enhance the incredible work they do.”

Laurence Jeffries of Dorset Search Dogs commented: “We would like to offer our thanks, once again, to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, and especially the Poole depot staff, for their continued support of our charity.

“Dorset Search Dogs relies on donations to maintain its operational effectiveness when called out on behalf of the Police to search for vulnerable missing people; at all times and in all weather conditions. This donation will make a large difference towards maintaining and increasing our operational capability.”

Find out more about SSEN HERE

Very well done to Sheila and the gorgeous Barney who passed their intermediate assessment yesterday. Lots of hard work and keeping at it paid off.

Wendy and Hattie delivered an impressive performance at the national assessments of Lowland Rescue search dogs last weekend to qualify as a level 2 hasty dog team.

The Search Dog assessments took place in Epping Forest and were hosted by Essex Search and Rescue.  The task was made harder for Search dog Hattie because the good weather saw the forest was busy with walkers, horse riders and cyclists.  Hattie was not distracted and stayed focussed on her task and found the three dogs bodies hidden on her 2 km route, within one hour, meeting the standard set  for a Lowland Rescue Hasty Dog.

Wendy said afterwards “I am overwhelmed and so happy ! Today my big, beautiful, clever girl qualified as a Lowland Rescue Search & Rescue Dog. Major thanks to all who have supported us throughout the roller coaster of a ride that the last 4 years has been, especially my team mates who did the 200 mile round trip with me and the assessors who passed her”

 

There was no time to relax after their success when they were called out the very next evening on a live search.

Hattie is a Giant Schnauzer; giant in size and giant in character. She absolutely loves the search game and has a reputation in the team for her enthusiasm and energy!

 

Following a lengthy time recovering from an injury, we are pleased to announce that Steve and Oscar are once again an operational search dog team.

Dorset Search Dog Charlie receives the PDSA Order of Merit for lifetime service

Charlie who completed hundreds of searches during his exemplary ten-year career, has been honoured by the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA.

Border Collie Charlie, who worked with his volunteer handler Matt Cooke, posthumously received the PDSA Order of Merit – known as the animals’ OBE – for his outstanding devotion to duty and service to society.

Charlie, who passed away in 2017, is the 32nd recipient of the award since its institution in 2014. His medal was presented to canine colleague Zak** at a special presentation at Highcliffe Castle today (Tuesday 15 October 2019).

Commenting on the awards, PDSA Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said: “We are pleased to announce Charlie as the latest recipient of the PDSA Order of Merit. Although we’re saddened that he was unable to receive his honour during his lifetime, we hope that Matt and his colleagues at Dorset Search Dogs see it as a fitting tribute to his incredible career.

“Our Animal Awards programme seeks to raise the status of animals in society.  Charlie’s long and dedicated career epitomises the reason we must continue our Founder’s tradition of honouring the contribution animals make to our lives.“The PDSA Order of Merit was introduced to recognise animals for their exceptional devotion to duty and service to society. Charlie was a truly exceptional animal and an incredibly worthy recipient of this medal.”

Charlie’s story

Border Collie Charlie started training as a Search and Rescue Dog with his owner, volunteer handler Matt Cooke, when he was 14-weeks-old, qualifying in November 2005. He soon attained the highest level of qualification and subsequently spent ten years in service with Dorset Search Dogs and Lowlands Search and Rescue. In this time he completed hundreds of searches and amassed thousands of search hours.

Charlie was deployed to both domestic and international incidents, helping find missing people in boggy woodland, dense undergrowth, burnt-out buildings and landslide zones.

Renowned for his phenomenal scent detection, Charlie could cover large areas of ground quickly, freeing up valuable Emergency Service resources to deploy elsewhere. As well as locating missing people, Charlie’s work enabled areas to be eliminated from a search, thus narrowing the focus of the Emergency Services. His methodical and reliable approach to searching earned him an enviable reputation within the Search and Rescue community.

In addition to his search duties, Charlie helped recruit and train other dogs to work in specialist taskforces. He also represented Search and Rescue Dogs in the House of Lords, raising awareness around quarantine and pet passports for specialist dogs travelling abroad.

Charlie’s most notable work includes:

• Charlie located an elderly and vulnerable lady who had been missing for 14 hours in freezing temperatures. Police and ambulance services reported that had Charlie not found her when he did, she wouldn’t have survived.
  • In May 2008, Charlie located a murder victim buried in a large field, leading to a conviction.
  • Also in May 2008, Charlie located a missing 90-year-old dementia patient who had become disorientated and bogged down in mud.
  • In February 2009, Charlie and Matt were sent to Ascension Island in the Southern Atlantic, to help search for a missing woman. Charlie, along with two Thames Valley Blood Detection dogs, searched the entire island in brutal conditions and terrain. Such was Charlie’s reputation, the fact that no one was located gave closure to the search. Clearing a search space in this way is often as important as making a positive find.
  • Charlie was called to search a fire-damaged squat for fatalities. One homeless man was known to have lost his life in the blaze, which took 50 firefighters and 13 engines to put out. Charlie’s skills were called upon to ensure that there were no other fatalities in the building, which became structurally unsound. His subsequent search enabled the building to be cleared for demolition.

  Charlie retired at the end of 2015, enjoying a full and happy retirement until he passed away in December 2017.

   

  Award reaction

  Charlie’s handler, Search and Rescue volunteer, Matt Cooke, said: “Charlie was my boy. My dog of a lifetime. He was a pleasure to train and work alongside, and I am immensely proud of everything he has achieved in his career. For him to receive the PDSA Order of Merit, even after he has left us, is such an incredible honour. I am thrilled to have Zak – his Hampshire Search and Rescue colleague – accept the medal on Charlie’s behalf.”

  

  

   

  PDSA Order of Merit dogs

  Find out more about Charlie and all the other amazing canine Order of Merit recipients here.

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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.

 

Team radio stolen in the Bournemouth area. It will be useless to anyone who buys it or finds it but it is such a valuable asset to our team members when we are out looking for vulnerable missing people. When they realise that they can’t use it may be left somewhere (hopefully for an innocent party to find). Please share and keep your eyes peeled. Our team is depending on your help to recover this!

Please contact info@dorsetsearchdogs.org.uk if you have any information

To the thief or handler. Please be careful with it and leave it somewhere where it can be safely recovered. One day, we may be out giving emergency medical assistance to you or looking for one of your friends or relatives. We all need this radio returned.

 

If you would like to help fund a replacement please support Wayne on his fundraising  50K run   CLICK TO DONATE HERE

 

 

 

On a bitter cold day search teams from Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Sussex and Surrey used specialist search skills in a simulated search scenario. Two of our dogs attended: Trainee Search Dogs Rufus with Handler Serena and Op Support Sheila and Trainee Search Dog Merla with Handler Kath and Op Support Laurence.

When the team arrived they ere briefed that a sunday school group had become split up during a game of hide and seek and 9 people were not accounted for. Both dogs were deployed to cover woodland search areas. The teams worked alongside foot searchers, water rescue, drone teams and other dog teams to cover an area of woodland, farm land and lakes. Our dogs showed that hard work and training is paying off when they both successfully located missing people in their search areas.

We send our thanks to Hampshire Search and Rescue for hosting this event providing an amazing opportunity to introduce our trainees to a live search environment. A special thank you is also extended to the wonderful people who gave up their Sunday and volunteered to act as missing people on such a cold day.

We are delighted to share the news that Serena and Rufus passed their Lowland Rescue Level 2 Airscenting National Assessment to become an operational search dog team. All our search dogs and handlers have to pass the Lowland Rescue assessment to achieve operational status. This is a special achievement at the end of a difficult year with team training cancelled for much of the year due to COVID-19 restrictions.