Write an article about The courageous canines of Search and Rescue Dogs Malaysia .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from Members of ‘Search and Rescue Dogs Malaysia’ with their canine companions. (Fauzi Yunus @FMT Lifestyle)
KUALA LUMPUR: The sun is high in the sky as another training session begins for the courageous canines of the Search and Rescue Dogs Malaysia (SAR).
Tar, a striking 10-year-old Labrador, can’t wait to get started.
His owner, Wellington Ho, releases some powder into the air to check wind direction. When everything is ready, he unleashes the enthusiastic Tar, who explodes into action, running into the nearby undergrowth on a trail only his nose knows.
It’s a matter of minutes before he has found his target, a SAR member playing the role of a lost person. Tar starts barking loudly, alerting his handlers, and refusing to leave the person’s side until help arrives.
Good boy! He’s done well, and Ho gives him a treat.
Tar is an old hand at this, having been trained for search and rescue since he was four months old. He’s one of two senior dogs currently with SAR, Malaysia’s only volunteer search-and-rescue dog organisation.
They employ trained dogs to assist in locating missing persons, often in the aftermath of natural disasters.
SAR deputy president Wellington Ho with his labrador Tar. (Fauzi Yunus @ FMT Lifestyle)
“This training comes very naturally to the dogs. I think they find it very physically and mentally stimulating,” Ho, who is SAR’s deputy president, told FMT Lifestyle.
“It’s all about making the training methods enjoyable for them. You don’t use force; you don’t go against their mental abilities. You work with them and use motivation. If you get them at the right early age, they’re good and raring to go.”
SAR is associated with the civil defence force, and currently consists of 10 active volunteers, as well as two senior dogs and four dogs in training.
The organisation assisted in search operations for tourist Nora Anne Quoirin, who went missing during a holiday at a Negeri Sembilan homestay in 2019.
One of their dogs was also involved in the search for survivors during the Batang Kali landslide in 2022.
“We don’t get called often. Touch wood, incidents that need us don’t happen. But we have to be ready when they do,” Ho said.
“Usually, we get called in at very short notice. We need to be somewhere within one hour or two. So our bags are always packed, we’re always ready to go.”
Atom, another of SAR’s senior dogs, stays by the ‘victim’ he finds until help arrives. (Fauzi Yunus @ FMT Lifestyle)
For their valiant efforts, the organisation was awarded a Star Golden Hearts Award last year.
According to Ho, he was first inspired to start SAR after watching a news bulletin about the collapse of the Highland Towers in 1992.
Ho, president of the Malaysian Kennel Association at the time, had connections to global organisations with search and rescue dogs, and volunteered to help with rescue efforts.
While things didn’t work out, the experience left a lasting impact, leading Ho to start SAR in 2015.
The organisation meets for training sessions at wilderness locations in Semenyih every Sunday, and undergo obedience and dexterity training fortnightly on Thursdays. SAR has been doing this for the past nine to 10 years without fail, Ho said proudly.
The organisation also holds monthly training sessions at a local SMART training centre, training the dogs for scenarios involving rubble or collapsed structures.
A dog usually takes 2.5 to three years to be trained, and is certified by inspectors from the Austria-based International Rescue Organisation.
Some of SAR’s members at the site of the tragic Batang Kali landslide in 2022. (Search and Rescue Dogs Malaysia pic)
While modern rescue teams are equipped with advanced technological tools, Ho believed dogs complement their efforts.
For example, while drones are frequently used for aerial surveillance, they cannot detect victims beneath collapsed structures or dense debris, while dogs can.
SAR is now looking for more volunteers to help their operations: some of their senior dogs are ageing and will be retiring soon.
Dog ownership is not a requirement for membership: the organisation welcomes anyone interested in contributing, particularly in first aid and rescue support.
“I do this because of the love of my dog, and seeing how he enjoys doing it. It might be tiring sometimes, but we make sure they rest and cool down with water after every 45 minutes,” Ho said.
“Some people think volunteering is fun, but it can be a slow and tough process at times. It takes a lot of time and energy. But helping people is very rewarding. And we’re always looking for the right people, and the right dogs, to join us.”
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