Search dogs are new recruits at Isle of Wight Search and Rescue
3rd October 2024
Two specialist search dogs are joining the team at WightSAR (Isle of Wight Search and Rescue), giving the volunteers extra support to find missing people.
WightSAR supports Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary when a vulnerable person goes missing. Seven team leaders and more than 20 volunteers can be quickly deployed to find the missing person.
The new four-legged recruits are Malli, a three-year-old ‘sprocker’ spaniel who is an air-scent dog, and seven-year-old Ginny, a ground scent labrador; both are now going through their training with handlers Jasmine Light and Catherine Fitton. They will give WightSAR invaluable help while searching woodland and fields and Wightlink is supporting their training on the mainland.
“The sponsorship from Wightlink has been invaluable as we have been to training courses in Wales, Staffordshire, Oxford and Kent,” says Jasmine.
The two-year training programme is supported by the National Search Dog Association, with the ferry company’s sponsorship of WightSAR helping with travel costs for the dogs and their handlers. In addition, Wightlink has supported volunteers Alistair Bridle and Christopher Filipe to undertake advanced training at a National Team Leader course in Worcestershire.
WightSAR chairman Dean Terrett says Malli and Ginny would help them be more effective: “There is only so much a human can do. The amazing noses of dogs give us a better chance of finding people and this will make such a difference.”
Air-search dogs are trained to follow scents given off by a missing person. Once they have found them, they return to their handler and lead the human team to the location. Ground search dogs use a piece of clothing or personal item with the missing person’s scent.
“We all dread a loved one going missing and know the work WightSAR is doing on the Island in difficult situations is tremendous,” says Sam Woodman, Wightlink’s Partnership Marketing Manager. “We are delighted to support this dog training initiative.”
For more information about Wightlink, contact:
Duty Media Officer:
[email protected]
07870 906 189