Every year, on International Dog Day, we celebrate the special bond between humans and their lifelong companions. But for some dogs, this bond also comes with a life-saving mission.
We followed the Dutch Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team during a training day in Germany, where their dogs participated in a simulated earthquake scenario. Surrounded by collapsed buildings and piles of rubble, the dogs practised one of the most critical skills in disaster response: finding people trapped under debris.
Heroes on 4 paws
Search and rescue (SAR) dogs are trained to locate people who are missing or trapped following, accidents, disasters or other emergencies.
With their exceptional sense of smell, they can detect human scent where machines and drones cannot - whether under rubble, snow, or even underground.
As part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Dutch USAR teams have been deployed to disaster zones across the world, including:
- the earthquake in Türkiye (2023)
- the Lebanon explosion (2020)
- the earthquake in Nepal (2015)
In these moments of crisis, search and rescue dogs play a vital role in saving lives.
What makes them so special is not their breed, but their character. During the early stages, trainers simply observe and test whether they have the right personality for the job: focus, playfulness, and the drive to search. If they’re not a good match, they find a loving family instead.
Once selected, the dogs live with their handlers and remain active for nearly a decade, usually from the age of 1 until around 10 years old. The bond between them is crucial: they train, work, and live side by side, developing complete trust in one another.
Work mode on
The dogs know exactly when it’s time to work. As soon as their handler puts on the bright orange suit, the dog switches into search mode. On the training ground, we watched as they dashed across rubble, noses twitching, tails wagging, completely focused on the invisible trail of human scent.
Sometimes victims trapped under debris are impossible to reach directly. Yet the dogs, with astonishing precision, indicate the exact spot where a person is trapped.
Their bark is a clear signal to the handler: ‘I’ve found them ’.
And then comes the best part - the reward. For some dogs, it’s a favourite ball; for others, a squeaky toy or a treat. Yet, for these animals, saving a person’s life is the best reward.
Spending a day with the team was a powerful testament to how much we rely on dogs - not only for companionship, but also for saving lives when disasters strike.
The moment the dogs see their handlers in the orange suit, they switch into work mode. Handlers told us their dogs often run excitedly around the house when the uniform comes out - eager to get to work.
Once released, the dogs sprint across the debris, following the trace of human scent to locate someone trapped underneath.
Trained to navigate unstable ground, they leap and climb with ease. When they detect a victim, they bark to alert the team.
The handler quickly joins the dog at the indicated spot, ready to act.
A toy, a ball, or a favourite treat - this is the dog’s prize for a successful find.
Up in the air: dogs are also trained to be lifted or transported by zip line, so they can reach otherwise inaccessible areas during rescue operations.
What matters is not the breed, but the dog’s drive and personality. Meet Stevie, a Cocker Spaniel mix, who proves that even smaller dogs can excel at search and rescue.
The Dutch Urban Search and Rescue team, part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, together with their dogs - side by side in training and in life-saving missions.
