Our group is Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs, Inc., or GARD. Our training processes are for Wilderness search and rescue operations, that is, searching for missing subjects in wilderness environments. While some of our members are also involved with cadaver and disaster search, at present, our focus with GARD is wilderness. We use air scent dogs, i.e., dogs that will detect any human scent in a given area.

We are non-breed specific, but most of our dogs are working breeds, and current dogs include German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Border Collies and the great All-American mixed breed.  Our group is based in southeastern Virginia, and members live in the area between Richmond and Hampton Roads. We train as a team every weekend, with the exception of major holiday weekends. Our training areas are predominately in eastern and central Virginia, and we train with other K9 search teams, as well as ground teams, in various parts of the state. We have night training at least once a quarter, and we also participate in mock searches with other search and rescue organizations. Realizing that everyone cannot make every training, we do require that active members attend at least half of the trainings in a given quarter.

We currently have four fully operational dog/handler teams, with other teams in various stages of training. We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), on call to respond anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia or surrounding states.

Like most search and rescue teams in Virginia, we are a volunteer team and are incorporated as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. We solicit donations for the purchase of team equipment and training. All dog and personal expenses and equipment, including travel, are the responsibility of the handler. The membership status is a progression of several stages, each involving greater training and skills on the part of both the dog and handler. Most of the dog training is handled internally. We have several experienced handlers, with many years of experience in training a variety of dogs in search and rescue. The non-dog search training is available through VDEM-sponsored courses offered at various times of the year throughout the state. Much of this process is explained in our manual, which is available after you become accepted as an Applicant.

As you might expect, the training period is extensive. In general, it takes 12 months to 18 months or more for a dog and handler to become fully operational. Our teams have to meet both the state certification standards and our own internal standards, and be approved by a vote of the operational handlers, before they become fully operational. If you are interested in our group, we ask that you NOT bring your dog to the first training you attend. We have found this allows a prospective member to concentrate on meeting the members of the group and observing our training procedure without interruption from their dog. After that, you will be free to bring your dog.

For more information on joining or the training schedule, email: paw@widowmaker.com   

Thank you for your interest in GARD!