New search and rescue dogs first stop Dover

By kbailes

Kathy Bailes

kathy.bailes@krnmedia.co.uk

A MISSING person hunt in Dover has been one of the first carried out by a new search and rescue dog unit for the south east.

Dog handlers and their trained pets were called by Kent Search and Rescue and Kent Police on August 7 when a man went missing following a car crash on the A20 between Dover and Folkestone.

The team searched five routes over five hours before being stood down when it was revealed the man was alive and safe at his home.

It was one of the first jobs for the south east team, Sarda Meridian, which was established last month.

Chairman James Dunn, 29, said: "There had been an accident in the fog the night before and we were called

because one of the people involved had not been located. They had wandered off from the scene. We searched fields and woodlands to look for him but he turned up at home."

IT worker James and wife Caroline are just two of the seven strong team now serving Kent, East Sussex, Essex and Surrey.

Dad-of-one James said: "I joined Sarda Cantech, a unit based in Lincolnshire, in 2006 to train my dog Venka to NSARDA standards but she is still the only dog in Kent to hold such a qualification. Currently in our county alone, Search Dog services are called upon by the police on average 3 times a month. We need additional resources. I have been lucky enough to meet like-minded and motivated people from Kent and the surrounding counties and when we decided to join forces, Sarda Meridian was born."

The rescue dogs help to find missing people by following scent which is carried on the air. This technique is called air scenting and is an efficient method of searching large areas quickly.

The south east unit has three operational dogs, Venka from Kent, one from east Sussex and another from Essex. Several more are in training.

All team members are volunteers and Sarda Meridian relies on donations to stay running.

*Can you help?

Sarda Meridian needs to buy equipment, such as first aid kits and dog harnesses.

They also need 'dogs bodies,' people who are willing to come and hide for the dogs during training sessions.