Search and Rescue Dogs - Mid-South

Your tax exempt donations will be used to help us finish the inside of our new 40' x 80' training building and for utilities.

Contributions will also be used to help fund our ongoing services to the community.

Thank you for your support.

Search Dogs South was interviewed on WMC TV on May 14, 2010. Click here to view the video clip for "Pet CPR."

Water Recovery Efforts and Training

Search Dogs South participated in three body recovery cases during the floods in Tennessee this spring.

In one case we located the remains of a flood victim in Memphis.

In two cases, one in Dyersburg, the other in Nashville, the remains of the two drowning victims remain unfound, even after exhaustive search efforts by teams from several states and many Tennessee counties.

These unresolved cases lead Search Dogs South to seek to improve our search capability using side scan sonar. Our dogs can tell us whether, on not, there is a body in the water. Sometimes water and bottom conditions work against the successful conclusion to a search. The side scan sonar, when properly setup and used, has the capability of pin pointing the location of a body in zero visibility water.

Search Dogs South is partnering with Fayette County Technical Rescue in a weekend training program, presented by a professional in the use and interpretation of side scan sonar, aimed at taking members from novice sonar operators to well trained and competent operators. We will have live targets, divers, for the trainees to visualize during training.

This training, along with our ongoing cadaver dog training, will raise the level of our response capability to a new level.

Search Dogs South provides K-9 search and rescue services to the Mid-South states. The all volunteer, non-profit organization is dedicated to providing professionally trained canines and handlers to assist law enforcement and other agencies in search and rescue missions whether it be a criminal search or one for a lost or missing adult or child. The team does land and water cadaver searches as well.

Based in Byhalia, MS, SDS serves an area within a 250 mile radius of Memphis, TN. Search and Rescue is available in areas in Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. Formed in 1995 the organization provides a source of search and rescue dog training and handler education for team members. There is no charge for services.

Providing trained search dogs and handlers for lost or missing persons search.
Provide on-going training for dog teams and support personnel in order to ensure the deployment of skilled individuals in search operations.
To make available to law enforcement agencies and search and rescue operations, handlers and dogs capable of assisting in all areas utilizing the various breeds of search dogs.
To serve and educate both law enforcement agencies and the general public in the many uses and benefits of utilizing K-9 assistance in all areas of law enforcement and search and rescue.

Case Studies
Our first crime scene investigation was in 2000 and resulted in three life without parole convictions for murder. We were called by a police department and asked if we could help with a home invasion, rape/murder. They had a suspect in jail, on other charges, but could not put him at the crime scene. ...read more»

Scene Investigation
In the event a trailing dog is called for there are a few simple procedures to follow that will help make the search more successful. As scent material is key to any search, following these procedures at the scene can make the K9s job easier and contribute to a faster and more positive search. ...read more»

Evidence Collection Scent is evidence, and should be properly collected and preserved, like all other evidence at a crime scene. A properly preserved, uncontaminated scent article can be utilized over a period of time. The best way to protect the item is to ...read more»

Make A Scent Article Why would you need a scent article? In the event someone is abducted or becomes lost, having a scent article available for Search and Rescue teams can make a difference in the outcome of a search. ...read more»