When you're lost in the wilderness, highly trained BCSDA handlers and dogs are there to assist in the search.

All of our members serve their communities and the surrounding areas as operational members of the local volunteer Search and Rescue team. Regular search, obedience and fitness training occur throughout the working life of a dog, usually 6 - 8 years. Most, if not all of the expenses associated with training a search dog are borne by the handler.

Once a year each team is validated by the BC RCMP Police Dog Service.

This strong relationship with the RCMP, EMBC, BCSARA and the handler's Ground Search and Rescue team is what differentiates the BCSDA from other search dog groups in the Province of BC.

Our validated teams provide professional and well-trained civilian wilderness search dog resources to supplement the RCMP's Police Dog Service teams during search and rescue operations. Volunteer handlers and their dogs are on-call 24-hrs a day and are deployed by either the local RCMP detachment or by Emergency Management BC. BCSDA members are a Provincial resource, available to any GSAR team through the Province. We are one of two search and rescue canine teams recognized by the BC Search and Rescue Association.

There is never a cost to the missing person or their family for our services.

Handlers come from a wide range of socio-economic and ethnic groups, are roughly divided between female and male handlers, and are spread out across BC. Several different breeds of dogs are in the program, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Malinois are most common.

Your donation will be used to provide grants to handlers to help with course fees and travel expenses to our twice yearly training camps, and to provide professional development for our members who provide instruction and mentoring.

To learn more about our program please visit our website