About ISSARD
Ireland's Specialist Search & Rescue Dogs
ISSARD provides professional, volunteer-led search dog capability across Ireland. Our mission is to support families, communities, and official agencies when someone goes missing.
Our Mission
ISSARD trains and deploys volunteer search dog teams to support missing person searches across Ireland. We work alongside An Garda Síochána, mountain rescue teams, and other recognised search agencies to provide professional, compassionate search capability when it's needed most.
What Drives Our Work
Every deployment, training session, and community interaction is guided by these core values that define who we are and how we serve.
Maintaining the highest standards in training, operations, and professional development.
Committed volunteers who give their time freely to serve families and communities.
Always ready to respond when called upon by recognised search management agencies.
Providing sensitive, respectful support to families during their most difficult times.
Building Ireland's Search Dog Capability
ISSARD was founded to provide Ireland with professional search dog capability that could support official search operations. Since becoming operational, our dedicated group of volunteers has established a recognised organisation working alongside emergency services across the island.
Our teams are ready to respond to search requests ranging from urban missing persons to complex terrain operations. Every deployment teaches us something new, and we continue to evolve our training and operational procedures based on real-world experience and international best practices.
ISSARD trains dog teams across specialist disciplines: mantrailing and open area search. We also have cadaver dogs currently in training. Our volunteers invest hundreds of hours annually in rigorous training to maintain the professional skills that families and official agencies depend on.
Ready When Called Upon
Behind every successful deployment is a network of dedicated volunteers, professional training, and community support. Together, we're ready to serve when Ireland needs us most.