K-9 S.O.S. (“Searching Out Scent”) is a fully insured, trained all-volunteer, non-profit corporation. The canine-assisted search and rescue group is based in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Although the team was established in early 2004, all of the original, founding members have years of previous search and rescue experience. The team’s main objective is to provide assistance to emergency agencies. K-9 S.O.S. has assisted numerous local police and fire departments, county coroners, Pennsylvania State Patrol, Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Our services are provided free of charge to requesting agencies. K-9 S.O.S. DOES NOT, however, respond to any felony-related calls. Our canines are not trained for arson, bomb, or drug detection, or criminal pursuit. K-9 S.O.S. assists agencies in both Pennsylvania and Ohio.

     The K-9 S.O.S. dogs are trained in wilderness, urban, building, disaster, and despondent person search; as well as in human remains/ cadaver, water cadaver, and article search/ recovery. In addition, K-9 S.O.S. also conducts presentations and demonstrations to help educate the public concerning safety awareness.

     The team currently consists of six handlers and seven canines. Handlers train their own dogs with team assistance. The dogs have completed courses consisting of obedience, agility, and search and rescue work. The handlers have completed course work including Basic First Aid and CPR (both human and canine), AED, Wilderness Search Responder, Basic and Advanced Grid Tactics, Map and Compass and GPS, Water Rescue, Scent Theory, Cadaver, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), ICS 100 and 200 (Incident Command System), NIMS 700 (National Incident Management System), and NASAR  (National Association for Search and Rescue) certification (SARTECH II and SARTECH III). 

     K-9 S.O.S.strongly promotes continuing education; and members attend various out-of-state seminars, including those offered by the Department of Homeland Security, to gain information from other search and rescue teams and instructors. K-9 S.O.S. is a member of Ohio Federation of K-9 Search Teams.

     Group training sessions are held weekly, giving the canines and handlers the opportunity to reinforce their skills with volunteer "lost subjects" in simulated situations. During a training session, the canine uses the scent of the "lost subject" to either trail or air-scent the location of the person. Once found, the canine returns to the handler and alerts to let the handler know the subject has been found. Then on command the dog returns to the subject with the handler. The canine is rewarded for a successful “find”. K-9 S.O.S. dogs are also trained to work without a scent article, whereby they would locate any human scent.

     The K-9 S.O.S. dogs have successfully assisted many local agencies in locating live subjects, recovery of articles, body recoveries, and the detection of human remains. The team is proud to focus their efforts on providing this essential service (at no charge) to surrounding communities.