Metchosin SAR dog teams training takes a leap
Published 10:00 am Monday, October 5, 2026
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Metchosin Search and Rescue’s pair of dog teams are better trained than ever after the fall BC Search Dog Association camp in Merritt.
After officially finishing validation last fall, Sandra Hardy and Venna became the first official dog team in a decade for the Metchosin organization. The fall camp saw Venna and Hardy complete their second advanced level training, practising different search techniques, operational obedience, a large-scale scenario involving a drone, and tracking. They even got to fly in a helicopter.
Agnes Baer and golden retriever Ollie – who passed the puppy assessment in the spring to embark on intensive training – passed their novice level training. They practiced search patterning, group obedience and helicopter loading.
The teams work with Metchosin SAR, which covers that community as well as Langford, Colwood, Highlands, View Royal, Esquimalt, Victoria and Oak Bay, and serves as a mutual aid resource for other areas of the Capital Regional District and province, including neighbours Juan de Fuca and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization.
About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk
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