Independent practice sniffs out search and rescue organisation as its charity

An independent vet group is aiming to raise more than £2,500 for the Kent branch of the National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA).

Pennard Vets, which has eight branches across the county, has picked the NSARDA to be its nominated charity and its 155-strong team is planning a calendar of events to raise valuable funds.

The NSARDA specialises in taking the public and their pet dogs, and turning them into highly qualified search and rescue teams able to assist in searching for people in various scenarios.

‘Huge impact’

The charity is linked to the Kent Search and Rescue, which assists emergency services to search for high-risk and vulnerable missing people – often where a threat to life exists.

Stuart Kenny, chairman of the National Search And Rescue Dog Association and longtime member of the Kent branch, said: “We’re all volunteers and we travel all over Kent to respond to calls – often at our own expense. However, it’s very rewarding because of the huge impact you can have on people – whether it’s the missing person or their family.

“In addition, the other side of the role sees us taking members of the public and their pets, who initially know nothing about search and rescue, and training them to take on a lot of responsibility.”

‘Amazing work’

Imogen Birch, from Pennard Vets, added: “NSARDA does amazing work and because everyone at Pennard Vets loves anything with four legs, voting them as our chosen charity was an easy thing to do. The charity also hosted several members of our team at a recent training day, which gave us the opportunity to see first-hand how they work and the difference they make.

“We all came away feeling reassured that we have such a dedicated team of search professionals in Kent. We’re now organising all types of events to support them.”

It typically costs £2,500 to kit out a dog team with safety equipment, radios, specialist clothing and training.