Importance of Lincolnshire volunteer search and rescue dogs highlighted
Louth Search and Rescue Dogs has 12 handlers, 7 licensed dogs and 10 in training
We're hearing about the importance of volunteer search and rescue dogs across Lincolnshire.
They were celebrated earlier this year after finding a man in his 70's in Boston, who'd been missing for over 3 days.
Louth Search and Rescue Dogs currently has 12 handlers, 7 licensed dogs and 10 in training.
They've been called out to vital investigations around 10 times this year.
Volunteer Thelma Purchin said the work they do is essential.
"Lincolnshire's a very big county and so it's a vast area to cover.
"The police dogs aren't designed really to do work looking for vulnerable people, so we fit a niche there.
"It's always better if we can find somebody when they're, obviously, still alive.
"But even if we find somebody that's already deceased it's still a closure for the family."
Ideal trainee dogs have to have a few key traits.
"They have to be fairly obedient, you've got to be able to call your dog back and they must love playing with a toy.
"They then come to us and they're taught to bark, which everyone at home tells them not too.
"So they then have to learn to bark for a toy, and then we start to send people off with that toy.
"They then start looking for a human, so human scent."