ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – They respond when someone goes missing in the wilderness. Sandia Search Dogs are ready and waiting for their next mission, helping local law enforcement.
Gus was on an important mission Saturday: to track down a missing person. He along with his handler, Dana, and about a dozen highly trained dogs, and volunteers with Sandia Search Dogs help New Mexico State Police find missing people in the wilderness.
Cindy Oliver, the president of the non-profit, says they respond to anywhere from two to five calls a month.
“We train our dogs so they can find lost hikers, hunters, piñon pickers,” said Oliver.
These dogs train with their handlers just about every weekend, by searching for people hiding in the woods. Saturday morning, Gus was looking for Lindsay.
She hides behind trees and rocks and when Gus finally finds her, he barks to alert Dana.
Each of the dogs has a different alert method. For example, when Kai, another dog on their team, finds who he’s looking for, he runs back to his handler, jumps on him and then runs back to the subject.
Once the job is complete, Kai and Gus get their rewards.
Sandia Search Dogs is a non-profit funded primarily by donations. They are always looking for more field support volunteers.
