A RESCUE dog from Bromsgrove is helping find missing people after qualifying as a search and rescue dog.
Dyno, a Border Collie, was adopted by Matthew Massey as a six month old puppy from Dogs Trust Shrewsbury rehoming centre.
Matthew, who lives in Bromsgrove with his wife, Mandy, and 15-year-old son Andrew, were already volunteering with Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) and wanted to give a forever home to a dog who could become part of the specialist team.
Now, after more than two years of training every other weekend, Dyno received the Search and Rescue Search Dog Standard, an achievement accredited by the National Association of Specialist Dog Users (NASDU).
NASDU is an authority which governs and trains dogs for the police and security services, along with the Ministry of Defence.
He said: “Search and rescue dogs need to have a high work drive, be intelligent, energetic, love people and want to interact with them.
“We can be called out to help day or night, 365 days a year and although he’s a great family dog, as soon as his SARA jacket goes on he knows he’s working.
“He took to the training straight away and picked things up very quickly.
“He is turning out to be a real star, we’re very proud of him.”
Now a lowland search and rescue dog for SARA, Dyno is on call for West Midlands and West Mercia Police and since graduating has been involved in 11 searches for missing people.
Louise Campbell, Manager at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury, said: “Dyno came to us as a very young pup, he was absolutely delightful and I can remember when Matthew adopted him.
“It’s great to hear that he has truly fulfilled his obvious potential and gone on to become a fantastic search and rescue dog, as well as being a huge part of the family’s life.”
Visit www.dogstrust.org.uk to find out more about the dogs at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury waiting to find their special someone and www.sara-wyreforest.org.uk to find out more about Dyno’s work as a search and rescue dog.
