By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue (OOSAR) has added another K9 member to the team, giving Kaya the Search Dog a partner.
Search Dog Niki and handler, Diana Krauss, were validated by the RCMP at the BC Search Dog Training Camp in Merritt this past week.
“Dogs never cease to amaze me in all that they are capable of doing,” said Krauss. “Niki and I are thrilled to be able to put the many hours of training into actively assisting OOSAR during a search.”
With one other search dog in Kelowna, the Okanagan-Similkameen now has three K9’s available if needed.
K9 ‘s are very useful in a search, as one dog can be the search equivalent of up to 20-30 humans in optimal conditions. Dogs have more than 100 million sensory receptor sites in the nasal cavity, compared to 6 million in people.
According to OOSAR, a proficient SAR dog needs lots of training, starting with basic obedience skills. Then SAR dogs learn how to track, signal their handlers, and behave appropriately in stressful situations with nearly two years of training before the dog and handler can be tested and validated by the RCMP.
“We are proud of Diana and Niki, as they have dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours training to get to this point. It will be of great asset to the area when someone is in need of our services and every second counts,” said OOSAR President, Naveen Narayan.
He added, “We are always looking for more volunteers to join our team, too.”
OOSAR is recruiting volunteers to join their search and rescue team. The member drive will kick off with the OOSAR Open House at 5868 Cessna Street in Oliver, on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 1-3 p.m.
“Come out and meet our SAR dogs, team members and check out all that one can do as an OOSAR volunteer. We need both search members as well as support members to assist in administration, fleet management and maintenance,” said Narayan.
For more information visit the Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue website.
