Canine Search and Rescue

Canine search and rescue teams often provide a life-saving edge in tracking a missing person, offering hope to parents, family members, and law enforcement officials. These teams rely on highly trained dogs and use the same basic techniques that have been handed down for hundreds of years, creating an unforgettable experience for those involved. In this personal recollection, author and lifelong dog handler Keith M. Pigg explores the world of canine search and rescue, recalling his partnership with Cleo, a female bloodhound he raised and trained from puppyhood. He shares training exercises, philosophies, and tips while describing the events of actual cases that he and Cleo worked over their twelve years together. Together they tracked both missing people and fugitives, giving eight years of volunteer service to a county emergency services agency. Through long nights, harrowing searches, and the occasional injury, Pigg and Cleo worked to save lives and bring fleeing criminals to justice. Presenting an in-depth, firsthand look at training and real-life casework, this narrative guide reveals life on the trail for a canine search-and-rescue team.