Search and Rescue Dogs Association (Southern Scotland)

True Stories of Canine Courage are featured in a book entitled 'Dog Heroes' and published by Summersdale. The story of SARDA Search Dog, Briar, a Golden Labrador from the Island of Arran is also featured in this book. Use this link to purchase your copy;

. Read the story of Briar on Goatfell on the Isle of Arran -

On 1st February 2012, a Commemoration took place in memory of SGT Harry Lawrie who was killed on Ben More 25 years ago in 1987. The Wessex Military helicopter was conveying team members of Killin Mountain Rescue Team (including SGT Lawrie) onto the summit of Ben More searching for a missing female hillwalker. The Wessex lost control and tumbled down the mountain throwing SGT Harry Lawrie to his death.

Today (01/02/2012) Dog Handler Andy Fleming with Trainee Search Dog, Dugald , joined Killin Mountain Rescue Team members - past and present - on a snow capped Ben Ledi, near Callander, where the plaque and memorial cross remain in place, to pay respects to our fallen colleague. 

Andy (also a member of Killin MRT) is a serving police officer and based at Killin Police Station where SGT Lawrie served the local community and still fondly remembered by local residents to this day.

This incident shows the commitment and dangers that all Mountain Rescue Team members and dog teams have to face on each occasion they respond to call outs with missing people.

Our recent Assessment held at Glen Finglas between 7-9 October 2011 saw a number of dog teams successfully 'Graded'.

Congratulations to Darryl Urquhart-Dixon and his golden Labrador, Ruby, who successfully achieved an upgrade to Grade 4 Dog Team status.

Congratulations also to Andy Fleming and his German Shepherd Dog, Angus, who maintain Grade 5 Dog Team status. 

Andy's other dog, a 1 year old black Labrador, Dugald, was also successful and managed to attain Grade 2 Dog Team. Hopefully Andy & Dugald shall succeed in 6 months time at the next Assessment and move up to Call Out status at Grade 3.  

Gordon helps train SARDA dogs is thanked by Angus & Dugald

Thanks Gordon can we have our toy back now !!

WEST HIGHLAND WAY Success !!!

On 8th May 2011 5 ladies set out on the 96 mile West Highland Way. Over the course of the next 6 days and despite facing horrendous Spring rain storms and the usual painful blisters they successfully completed their epic challenge.  The 5 ladies were trudging this well worn route to raise funds for their 2 chosen charities - SARDA (Southern Scotland) and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team

 Please support the ladies efforts and give generously to these worthy causes at their JustGiving websites.

http://www.justgiving.com/whw2011-sarda 

Congratulations to newly qualified dog team Darryl Dixon and his golden labrador Ruby when they qualified to Grade 3  status at the Association's recent April Assessment at Galloway Forest Park in the Scottish Borders.

Congratulations also go to Paul Martin and his black labrador Cairn and Andy Fleming and German Shepherd Dog Angus for also passing at the Assessment.

On Sunday 10 April 2011, several of our dog handlers and volunteer bodies found themselves at the scene of a real emergency. The SARDA team members were leaving for home after their Assessment weekend at Galloway Forest Park in the Scottish Borders, when the came across a motorcycle road accident with 2 seriously injured casualties. Both rider and pillion passenger had been hurled from their machine on a series of bends near to Clatteringshaws Dam. Luckily for them one of the first on the scene were experienced nurses and 'casualty care' trained team members from our Association who done an admirable job in tending to the motorcyclists injuries prior to the arrival of ambulance and police. Well done to our local heroes and I'm sure the 2 casualties were very grateful for the care.

Congratulations to two of our SARDA Handlers - James Coles and Paul Martin.

Both have in excess of 100 call outs with their dogs Cairn, Holly and Corrie.

At our recent December weekend training at Crianlarich both were formally recognised by our Training Officer, Bill Jennison, in a presentation of engraved quaichs.

Well Done ! 

Freddie Graham-Campbell and his friends successfully tackled the 3 highest Peaks in Britain on 5th August 2010 and SARDA benefited from his fantastic fundraising efforts. The event was profiled on his JustGiving page which has recently closed for further donations.

Freddie has managed to achieve 101% of his target and has raised £ 505 !

Well done Freddie !

Thank you from all of your friends at SARDA (Southern Scotland)

Trefor Davies has been very busy this summer on the Island of Mull. His regular collections throughout the summer months, at FhionnPhort Ferry slipway for visitors to the Isle of Iona, have surpassed all expectations. The kind generosity of the passing tourists have raised a fantastic sum of £ 2381.53

The season has come to a close and this was a particularly poignant time for Trefor with these collections also being made in Memory of his beloved Mountain Rescue Dog - Border Collie, Drift, who died last year after a short illness. 

You can still donate to this fund through our partners at JustGiving

Please follow this link ;

http://www.justgiving.com/DriftMountainRescueSearchDog

Bought your XMAS cards yet ?

Why not choose SARDA Charity cards. They can be used for your Christmas Greetings to all of your friends and family and also raise funds for Charity.

We had our October Assessment at the beautiful Glen Finglas near Callander. The weather conditions were kind during the 3 day period 15th - 17th October 2010.  We also had external Assessors from other SARDA Associations from around the UK.

Despite a real life overnight search & rescue on Ben Challum, for a missing hillwalker, which drew several dog teams away from the Assessment, the 3 days went extremely well. The hillwalker was found safe and well the following morning.

Well done to all handlers involved.

Well done to Garry Dodd on successfully completing the Kielder Marathon last weekend.

628th position - time 4 hours 41 minutes

934 participants finished including top class athletes with the winning time of 2 hours and 29 minutes.

A massive effort and achievement by all who took part. Congratulations Garry !!

 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

Giving to SARDA through your Self Assessment tax return

If you complete a Self Assessment tax return and are entitled to a tax refund, you can choose to have all or part of the repayment sent directly to charity. This is called ‘Self Assessment Giving’ or ‘SA Donate’. You can also ask that the repayment is made as a Gift Aid donation.

http://www.visitkielder.com/site/kielder-marathon

Only 15 days to go ! - Garry Dodd's from Hunters Lodge, Gretna shall be pounding the roads around the Kielder Forest for 26 painful miles. Please show your support of Garry's efforts as he is raising money for SARDA (Southern Scotland). Funds can be donated via his JustGiving webpage follow the link below -

http://www.justgiving.com/GarryDodd

Freddie Graham-Campbell and his friends are tackling the 3 PEAKS today. Please help him reach his fund raising targets. He has reached 71% of his goal of £ 500. It's all in the aid of SARDA (Southern Scotland). Good Luck Freddie !

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justgiving.com%2FFreddie-Graham-Campbell&h=9265a

Freddie Graham-Campbell has kindly considered SARDA (Southern Scotland) as the main recipient of sponsorship gained from his arduous efforts of tackling The 3 Peaks Challenge in August 2010.

He and a few friends are going to be climbing to the summits of Ben Nevis - 1343m, Scafell Pike - 978m and Snowdon - 1085m.

We would like to thanks Freddie and all his sponsors very much so please support this superb effort from this young man and give generously so that he may reach his targets. Follow the link to the JustGiving page -

http://www.justgiving.com/Freddie-Graham-Campbell

Trefor Davies and his border collie, Drift, were often seen together on the Isle of Mull. Visitors and tourists to that beautiful island will remember fondly the pair together happily raising funds for our organisation. Sadly after the passing of Drift late last year (2009) a great void has been left. In memory of Drift a Memorial page has been set up on our Just Giving website to run in parallel with Trefor's continued fundraising efforts on Mull along with his trainee search dog, Cass. If you're visiting Mull this year then why not visit Trefor and Cass and make a donation in person if not then show your support and donate here ;

http://www.justgiving.com/DriftMountainRescueSearchDog

We’ve teamed up with JustGiving, the UK’s leading online fundraising website, so you can donate and raise funds for us online. See the link below to the JustGiving web page -

http://www.justgiving.com/nsardasthnscotland

At our AGM in April 2010 at Tweedsmuir one of our members, Trefor Davies, was officially recognised for his fundraising efforts on behalf of SARDA (Southern Scotland).

Trefor a well known and respected member of the community at Fhionn Phort on the Island of Mull, is seen regularly throughout the Summer months at the ferry terminals on the island, with collection buckets on hand to help boost our funds. His beloved Mountain Rescue Search dog, Drift was often at his side helping in the cause. Sadly Drift lost her battle against a short illness late last year and died.

Trefor was formally thanked for his great efforts over the past 3 years where he has raised a fantastic £ 5662.38 to help us train Search Dogs.

He was presented with an engraved quaich at our recent Assessment by our Training Officer , Bill Jennison.

If visiting Mull over the coming year you will see Trefor continuing his efforts in raising money, with his dog, Cass, also training hard to achieve Search Dog status. 

Well done Trefor !

Congratulations to Dog Teams 'Liz and Faelin' for passing at Grade 3 and also 'Stephen and Skye' at passing at Grade 4 at our recent Assessment at Tweedsmuir in April

At the SARDA Southern Scotland October 2009 Assessment Rupert Bonham and Lewis have successfully graded onto the callout list.