Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association
A member of the American Rescue Dog Association
Become a Member
VSRDA is currently making revisions to the application process, and the training process for new members. For membership inquiries, please see our contact page. We are implementing an open house once a year in April-May. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the team and learn about K9 Search and Rescue, and gives the team the opportunity to meet perspective members.
You are not required to have a canine to join. Support personnel are a an integral part of our team. Prospective handlers who join without a K9 can also use their time learning about the unique training that SAR K9s require. Note: VSRDA does not supply handers with dogs. We also always encourage visitors to check out additional Virginia SAR K9 teams, because finding a "good fit," is sometimes more important that distance traveled to train, right?
For information on other SAR teams in Virginia, please see COVSAR member groups.
Important Considerations
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Time Commitment - This is not a hobby, it's a way of life. The time commitment of training a working canine is immense. You must have enough time to attend 1-2 trainings a week with the team, and be able to train regularly with your dog at home to keep up with obedience and conditioning/fitness standards. We average about 70-80 team trainings per year.
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Financial Commitment - Outside of the obvious financial commitment to maintaining a canine, the operational costs of gear and transport is also an important consideration.
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Physical Demand - Time in the field can be intense work. Both training and searches require volunteers to be able to walk long distances with a fully loaded pack, often in hilly terrain and dense vegetation.
K9 Handler
VSRDA provides its applicants and members with the necessary skills to prepare both handler and K9. As a volunteer dog handler, VSRDA will provide you with the necessary skills to prepare both yourself and your canine to pass the rigorous series of tests necessary to become an operational dog handler within the unit. K9 Handlers must learn:
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Land navigation and terrain analysis techniques
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Radio communications
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Advanced first aid
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Scent theory
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Search strategy and tactics
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The necessary skills to train your canine to locate missing persons and excel in both advanced obedience and agility
Once a handler and canine have completed all requirements for wilderness certification, teams also have opportunities to train in other specialties such as such as disaster recovery, water recovery and cold case work.
Support Personnel
As support personnel, your assistance can be utilized in a variety of areas. Support Personnel typically cannot have SAR dogs for various reasons, but still want to be involved with SAR K9s. For example, training is provided for members to learn base camp operations and/or the necessary skills to act as an escort to a dog/handler team. If you choose to volunteer in either of these capacities, VSRDA will provide the necessary training to master land navigation techniques, radio communications, advanced first aid, scent theory, and search strategies.
Membership Types
VSRDA offers membership at 2 commitment levels.
An Active Member persues
either a K9 Handler role or a K9 Escort role. They are voting members and require a Search Team Operations (STO) certificate from the Viginia Department of Emergency Managemenet (VDEM).
An Associate Member is welcome to come and hide for dogs, has no minimum requirements and will occasionally be called upon for odd jobs, such as fundraising.