No prior SAR experience is required. We welcome motivated beginners. What matters most is commitment, physical fitness, and a dog with good foundational obedience and drive. You’ll learn SAR skills through our training program.

Many breeds excel in SAR — our own team includes Bloodhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Labradors, Belgian Malinois, Airedale Terriers, Border Collie mixes, and Australian Shepherds. Drive, health, and trainability matter more than breed. We assess dogs individually. All dogs must be non-aggressive to other dogs and humans and have physical characteristics appropriate for working in challenging working environments for long periods of time and in inclement weather.

Active members typically train 1–2 times per week, plus attend team meetings and occasional multi-day training events. Deployments occur as needed when we receive a callout. This is a serious volunteer commitment of 10–20+ hours per month.

There are no membership dues, but handlers are responsible for their own equipment, training aids, and travel costs. The organization fundraises to support team needs. Many handlers invest in quality gear over time as they progress.

Absolutely! Non-K9 volunteers are a critical part of our team, and we have a strong, ongoing need for support personnel in three key roles: field support — ground team members who search alongside our K9 teams and assist handlers in the field; base support — volunteers who manage logistics, communications, and incident command during trainings and deployments; and hiders — people who play the role of the lost subject during training searches. Hiders are especially needed and require no prior experience or major time commitment — even a few hours a month makes a meaningful difference in keeping our dogs sharp and mission-ready. If you want to support search and rescue but aren’t able to bring a dog, this is one of the most impactful ways to help. Reach out at info@505sardogs.org to discuss how you can contribute.