SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is where human and K9 unite to find lost people and help those in trouble in wilderness and urban settings in the State of California.
“I’ll never forget the look on those parents’ faces when they lost their child. Mike and Susan saved up all year to take their 5 year old son on a weeklong camping trip to his favorite campground in the woods which was set beside a wide, winding river. One moment everything was going perfect, just as planned, and the next moment, the parents realized that their 5 year old son had just gone missing. In a state of panic and disbelief, Mike and Susan called the local law enforcement asking for help. That’s when I was deployed with my search dog. Within ten minutes of responding to the scene, the search and rescue dog had picked up a strong track. We stayed on that track for over a mile when we came around a bend in the creek that ran adjacent to the river to find the missing child! Finding the little boy was a huge relief, but nothing has ever compared to the excitement I saw in his parents eyes as they saw their son again for the first time. This experience changed the way I viewed helping people, and that’s when I knew that I wanted to continue to do this type of work for the rest of my life.”
–Jamison Burrell, Founder of SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue
SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a non-profit public charity and is a qualified 501(c)(3) California organization that makes up a unique, unconventional part of the search and rescue community. SoCal K-9 SAR is a highly specialized, highly mobile, trained and continually training, well equipped, and self sustained man and dog, all volunteer team prepared to be the first boots on the scene and the last boots off.
At SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue, we specialize in ground search and rescue in wilderness and urban settings. Ground search and rescue is the search for persons who are lost or in distress on land or inland waterways. Because of a dogs superior senses, from their ability to smell being estimated as up to “10,000 times better than people”, the use of prepared and well trained wilderness search dog teams dramatically increases the chances of finding the lost/injured victim.
Inevitably, every year people go missing for a variety of reasons. From missing people in our wilderness National Parks (averaging approximately 1,600 people per year here in the United States), to Alzheimer’s patients and children wandering off, when moments matter the most, we’re there, dedicated to bringing those lost and in trouble back home.
SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue In House Training
SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue trains their dogs both in house and partners with the National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA) to train according to the highest of standards. It is our goal to create an elite, multi-purpose force for high priority emergency situations to serve fellow citizens and our country.
Our Programs and Services:
SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a life-saving service utilizing highly trained and seasoned human and canine professionals as a team to bring lost people and those in trouble back home. All of our services are provided free of charge to the victim.
1. SoCal K-9 SAR Air Scent/Tracking and Trailing Services:
Within the unit, we have air scent dogs and tracking/trailing dogs. While both dogs use their sense of smell to do their rescue work, Kota, our air scent dog detects human scent that is airborne and often covers large areas of land, while the Shiloh, our tracking/trailing dog can discriminate the scent of an individual after smelling an article of clothing or object touched by the missing individual and track the missing persons exact steps. These two types of search and rescue dogs work well together in times of disaster to both search a large area while also deploying a more specific track from the missing individuals last known point. This service is available for wilderness and urban situations.
Sometimes there are situations when people can’t call for help. Case in point, Joe. We came across an abandoned vehicle in a ditch in Desert Center, CA (a cell phone dead zone) where the nearest town of Blythe was over 50 miles away. It was early in the morning and temperatures were already reaching into the upper 80’s. Concerned for the person, we got the search dogs out. After about a three mile track, we found a person sitting on a rock in the dwindling shade of a small tree looking exhausted. When Joe looked up and saw the search dogs, he was shocked and relieved. After administering some basic first aid, we gave Joe some water to drink to start rehydrating. Realizing he was ok, we walked Joe back to his vehicle.
2. The K-9 Mobile Command Center (MCC) Van:
The SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue Mobile Command Center (MCC) van is designed to handle any situation. This four wheel drive, super duty, over-landing van is equipped with everything the unit needs to do the search and rescue mission from beginning to end while also allowing the team to move with the search on a moment’s notice. From providing basic necessities such as food, water and shelter, to developing and deploying the search teams on their assignments, to being the focal point for updates and where questions are answered, nothing aids our team on the scene better than the MCC.
Back to the story about Joe: Once we arrived back at his vehicle we needed to get it out of the ditch it was stuck in off the side of the road. Detaching the winch from the K-9 MCC van and attaching it to his vehicle where the frame was hung up on some boulders, the winch quickly and easily pulled the car free.
3. SoCal K-9 SAR First Aid:
All K-9 handlers at SoCal K-9 SAR carry first aid items including medicines (ibuprofen, aspirin, antacid, etc.) and gear (ace bandage wrap, CPR mask, slings, band aids, etc.) that can treat typical injuries. Not only are we prepared with “to-go packs” for first aid for the handlers, the canines, and the victim(s), but we also carry an exhaustive first aid kit in the MCC van that weighs upwards of 70+ pounds. All K-9 handlers are continually training in K-9 and human first aid, CPR and blood borne pathogens.
As people age, some of their cognitive and coordination skills can dissipate. This is an example of a 77 year old man who thought he could do more than he physically could and he slipped and fell. Not wanting to be taken to the hospital, Robert approached the K-9 MCC van to treat him on the scene, immediately. Seeing that Robert had split his head open, the first thing we assessed him for was a concussion. Showing no signs of being in a critical state, we continued to inspect him for additional injuries. Having confirmed the most severe injury he sustained was the open wound on his head, we pulled out our first aid kit from the MCC van, cleaned the wound thoroughly, dressed it with sterile bandages and gave him some ibuprofen for the pain. Robert was very thankful to have approached the K-9 unit for assistance. We did advise that he should go to his regular doctor for further care.
4. SoCal K-9 SAR Community Educational Demonstrations:
SoCal K-9 SAR is pleased to offer informational seminars presenting basic information about search and rescue work with canines through lectures and demonstrations. These educational demonstrations cover topics including but not limited to:
-
- Overview of search and rescue dogs
- Types of K-9 Search and Rescue
- Obedience, agility and directionality
- Scent theory
- Search demonstrations
- And more
5. SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue Community Service/Homeless Dogs Project:
SoCal K-9 SAR is committed to lending a hand to the Los Angeles homeless dog epidemic. Ranging from food and water, clothing and blankets, leashes and pet food, to access to free obedience and behavioral training, holistic care, and simply lending a sympathetic ear, several times throughout each year, our handler and K-9 teams donate their time to the homeless and their pets.
Natural Balance Pet Foods, chewy.com Pet Supplies, and Centinela Pet Feed in Los Angeles, CA have donated to support the homeless pets project. These type of donations go to people like William and Diane whose house burned down in the devastating 2018 Paradise, CA fires. There was no way that they were going to leave their dog behind or give him away when they realized they were going to have to live on the street until they could figure out how they would get back into a house. “Even on our toughest day, whenever we would look at our dog, he would always have a smile on his face and would raise our spirits, helping us to keep going for another day.” -William
SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with the state of California since 2014. Financial donations make it possible for this ongoing service to continue to help those in trouble in our local communities.
The unit can receive one time or monthly donations through PayPal and Venmo @socalk9searchandrescue. Thank you for trusting us with your gift. Thank you for believing in our mission.
