Okanagan branch of the Canadian Canine Search Corps needs more training locations

The Okanagan branch of the Canadian Canine Search Corps is gearing up for winter and they are currently in need of more training locations in Kelowna and West Kelowna.

The group was established in Alberta in 2016 and came to British Columbia in 2017 after team lead Vanessa James-Davies moved to Kelowna.

"We are a canine HRD, which is human remains detection," says James-Davies. "We have five handlers, six dogs and a puppy."

CCSC trains dogs for water, land and disaster searches.

"We do any kind of environment," says James-Davies.

"We can do wilderness area searches, we do water searches so on the lake, on the rivers - so the dogs are able to detect that decomposition coming through the water, building searches, rubble, disaster searches. Any terrain which is why we want to diversify the types of areas we train at just to prepare the dogs for anything that they might encounter."

With winter ahead, the group is looking for locations that are well lit as daytime hours will be reduced.

"Anything thats different. Buildings are nice, facilities, junk yards, anything like that," says James-Davies.

If you have a location that you would like to offer, email [email protected]