In the aftermath the big earthquakeof September 21 in Taiwan, many countries dispatched search and rescue teamsand dogs to Taiwan.

Why are search and rescue dogs vital?

They have a keen sense of smell:The ability of dogs to detect smells is one million to ten million times betterthan that of human beings, and their ability to distinguish smells is over athousand times better than that of human beings.

They are quick and agile: Theirnimble figures make it easier for them to find disaster victims.

They are highly trainable: Dogs arehighly obedient and ideal partners for search and rescue.

What kind of dogs can be trained forsearch and rescue?

Any kind of dog can be trained forsearch and rescue, but not every kind of dog is suitable to actually be asearch and rescue dog.

Because of the harsh environment atdisaster sites, there are sometimes limits to the size of dog that can passthrough obstacles to find and save disaster victims.

So the breeds mostly commonlytrained are: German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, andBorder Collie.

How are search and rescue dogstrained?

There are many training programsfor search and rescue dogs; the training period ranges from 10 months to 3years.

Normally, training is carried outin realistic scenarios. Dogs who pass and obtain the International Rescue DogOrganization (IRO) certification can be trained for search and rescue.

Dogs who pass the more difficultMission Readiness Test (MRT) can directly be dispatched by the UN!

When are search and rescue dogsdispatched?

They are dispatched when:

An earthquake occurs or when thereis a disaster that causes injuries.

When an incident occurs in themountains or when a person is lost or missing.

After receiving instructions,search and rescue dogs will be quickly dispatched to the disaster area wherethey will engage in the task of searching and rescuing human lives!

The search and rescue dogs of the Taoyuan FireDepartment have a Facebook fan page!

Go to Facebook and search for“Tyfd-K9”

Or, enter the fan page url:https://www.facebook.com/tyfdk9/

Visit the fan page to see our cuteyet hardworking SAR dogs!