Jefferson County Search Dog Association, Inc. was chartered in 2001 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Jefferson County Search Dog Association, Inc. previously used the acronym JCSDA. March 2026 the Board of Directors approved the new doing-business-as (dba) name of Jefferson County Search and Rescue. The new acronym is JCSAR.

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Our Mission

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JCSAR shall function as a Specialized Rescue Squad utilizing search dogs in land and water search as well as certified scuba divers / support personnel for dive rescue and recovery. The Purpose of this organization is to provide trained search dogs and handlers to assist in the search for missing, lost or overdue persons as well as trained divers and personnel to assist in the rescue and recovery of persons in or around water.

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How Our Dogs Work

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The search and rescue dog's usefulness lies in the fact that every human being has a scent caused by the constant shedding of dead skin cells from the body. Trained SAR dogs use either trailing or air-scenting techniques to find people.

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Trailing dogs search for specific individuals by following the scent left on the ground and surrounding vegetation. They are helped by the items of clothing or other personal belongings containing the individual's scent, such as a pillowcase.

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Air-scenting dogs scan the air for any human scent, not just the scent of one particular person. They can be deployed quickly in disaster searches for victims after a tornado, earthquake or flash flood.

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..24 Hours a Day ...

..7 Days a Week....

..365 Days a Year..

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Each handler on the team gives 117 hours minimum for specialized training before being able to be an active search team member. Each member also maintains his or her own search dog(s) and equipment to provide a minimum of 48 hours self-sufficient service.

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If you would like to be a member of our team please contact us at SAR-Info@JCSDA.com.

Police, Fire, EMS, EMA, and Sheriff - Call JCSAR as soon as possible to report a missing person.

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Caregivers, Nursing Homes, Daycare Centers, Loved Ones -

         (1) Call your local police or 911.
         (2) Call for JCSAR at 364-202-3641
         (3) For lost Alzheimer's person also call Safe Return at 800 221-1277.

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