At Mecosta County Search and Rescue (SAR), we are a dedicated volunteer K-9 unit based in Mecosta County, Michigan.
Our team is here to assist law enforcement, fire services, and emergency management in search and rescue operations using our highly trained K-9s. Though currently in training, our dogs and handlers are preparing to provide invaluable services to the community.
Our MCSAR members have training in air scent, human remains detection, disasters, and trailing to help locate lost children, Alzheimer's patients, hunters, hikers, human remains, and more.
MCSAR is notified and dispatched by law enforcement and first responder personnel only
CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR ALL MISSING PERSON CASES.
Who are we?
Join Our Team!
Are you interested in joining our team? We are always looking for kind hearted, eager members who love to serve their community, and be a part of something bigger! Contact us if you have an interest, or want to know more.
All K9s are owned and cared for by MCSAR Volunteers. Our team does not accept or provide dogs for handlers.
Why dogs?
The Mecosta County K9 Search and Rescue team is comprised of highly skilled and dedicated K9 units, each with their own unique set of abilities and specialties. From tracking scents over long distances to locating individuals in remote areas, these K9 heroes play a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
One of the key advantages of utilizing K9 units in search and rescue missions is their keen sense of smell, which is far superior to that of humans. This allows them to cover large areas quickly and efficiently, increasing the chances of locating missing individuals in a timely manner.
In addition to their search and rescue capabilities, the K9 units also provide much-needed emotional support to both the victims and their families during times of crisis. Their presence alone can be a source of comfort and reassurance, helping to calm nerves and provide hope in seemingly dire situations.
The Mecosta County K9 Search and Rescue team is a valuable asset to the community, and their dedication to their work is truly commendable. These furry heroes continue to make a difference in the lives of many, and their efforts do not go unnoticed.
For anyone in need of search and rescue assistance in Mecosta County, rest assured that the K9 units are always ready to spring into action and lend a helping paw. Their unwavering commitment to serving the community is a testament to their training, skills, and the special bond they share with their handlers.
Facts:
Experts estimate that a single search-and-rescue dog can search the same area as approximately 50 people on foot. Dogs have 220 million scent receptors, compared to humans' 5 million. But they're also fast.
Human beings are smelly creatures — they constantly shed dead skin cells called rafts, which contain bacteria and smell, well, distinctly human. While it's impossible to know for sure, most experts believe that SAR dogs are smelling these rafts, which form a "scent cone" that the dogs can easily pinpoint when they're performing a search. Everyone's skin cells smell unique, which is how a SAR dog can smell an item of clothing and search specifically for the last person who wore it.
SAR dogs can do a lot of amazing things, including rappel down mountainsides with their handlers, locate a human being within a 1640-foot (500-meter) radius, find a dead body under water, climb ladders and walk across an unstable beam in a collapsed building, but it's all toward a single end: Finding human scent.
Are you interested in having us join you at an event?
Would you like to join us for some of our group K-9 training?
Would you like to get to know us better?
Message us below with a note and we would love to talk with you!