Meet Our New Search & Rescue Dog

Meet Poppy...she's a collie and she can do the work of up to ten humans! The canine is set to become North Devon's first ever voluntary air-scenting rescue dog. When she completes her training..hopefully around the end of the year..she'll then be used in the search for missing people.

Her trainer James Taylor-Short told Heart News: "Poppy will be able to scent any human scent in the air.  What makes her difference from police dogs is that she won't be on a lead and she doesn't smell nose down..she's a free ranging dog so to speak.  At the moment if somebody goes missing in North Devon..for example along our cliffs..we have to bring in a dog from Dartmoor and that takes time.  Even a few minutes can make a big difference when it comes to finding a casualty so it will be a real benefit to the area when Poppy is fully trained and in operation here."