It has been documented that under ideal conditions, one well-trained air scenting dog team can be as effective as 50 - 100 ground searchers.

Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs (ASARD) is a volunteer search dog unit on call 24 hours a day to assist law enforcement and other official agencies. We respond to approximately 20 - 30 missions per year.

A8. Absolutely! Goldens shed a little all year round and twice a year they lose most of their coat. Anyone intent on a "hair free" home, should reconsider getting a Golden. Their coat requires brushing of at least once a week. Their hair can be long and can become matted if it isn't properly cared for. A thorough grooming to trim the hair on the paws, tail, and around the ears needs to be done on a monthly basis.

The American Kennel Club does not have a program that recognizes the various service dogs and search and rescue groups. We are happy to say that Therapy Dogs International recognizes our Canine Good Citizen program and incorporates it into their training program.

Our dogs come from a variety of sources. Most dogs come to us directly as owner surrenders, some come from shelters or animal control as strays, while others are left there by owners. Other times dogs come from a puppy mill that has closed or is no longer interested in the breed or the dog in question. First, please take the quiz, Is the Havanese the Right Breed for You? There is NO perfect dog for everybody.

We will take a dog from a private owner when we have the space, but this is rare. Because of the terrible shortage of foster homes and the abundance of dogs who are at risk of being killed, most often we cannot do this. We prefer to rescue from the pounds that are "kill facilities", that is, where animal euthanasia takes place.

We have a Memorandum Of Understanding with North Carolina Task Force One and Wake County Emergency Management that requires us to keep personnel and equipment available at all times for emergencies in the county and state, but SAR Teams throughout North Carolina assist one another whenever extra resources are needed. This mutual aid also extends outside the state to the national and international arena. Our specialties are canine search and water rescue (in training).

We try to be a "one stop shop" for Dalmatian information, rescue and adoption. We do consider Dalmatian mixes, however as are adopters are coming to us looking ONLY for Dalmatians, we are only helpful if the dog in question is a Dalmatian or significantly Dalmatian.

We often encounter and have available for adoption pure bred dogs; however, in most cases you will not receive official pedigree paperwork because such paper work is not available or the pedigree history of the animal has been lost or impossible to locate.

Dogs need new homes for a variety of reasons, but the most common ones are because the owners had a change in their lifestyle and are not able or willing to include the dog in that change (moving, new baby, new house, etc.). Most are neglected and thrive when given the attention they need. Some have not been neglected or abused, but just simply need a new home. A few have been abused in the past, but luckily, these are few and far between. A few also come from puppy mill closures..

In 2001 we rescued 87 dogs. 45 came from commercial breeders. 23 came from shelters. 19 were owner surrenders.

All of our dogs are seen by either our vet or the shelter vet prior to adoption. We vaccinate, heartworm test, spay/neuter, worm, and give rabies shots to all of our dogs prior to adopting them into forever families. Should a dog be ill or need further medical attention, we take care of that also.

There are a lot of reasons why basenjis and other dogs come into rescue. Some of the most common include: Life changes: Sometimes major life changes force people to give up treasured companions. An owner may suffer a catastrophic illness or injury, or the health of a family member can suddenly require all of the owner's time and effort. Job requirements such as long work hours or prolonged travel may mean the owner does not have time for the dog.