King County Search Dogs

SEARCH

King County Search Dog teams are deployed by County Sheriffs or State Emergency Management to help locate missing persons and evidence. KCSD volunteers and their dogs are certified in one or more of our three main search disciplines; airscent (looking for any human in a wilderness or urban environment), trailing (looking for a specific human using a subject’s unique smells) and human remains detection. Some KCSD teams have additional specialty search & rescue certifications in avalanche, disaster, water search work. You can learn more in the WHAT we do pages.

TRAIN

King County Search Dogs train a lot! It takes eighteen months or more of training several times a week to develop a reliable airscent or trailing dog. Continued training is then required to pass periodic re-certification tests. In order to comply with the demanding core competency standards of the King County Search and Rescue Association, KCSD handlers and support personnel also undergo extensive training and testing in areas such as wilderness navigation, search & rescue techniques, radio communication, crime scene management, helicopter safety and searcher survival.

EDUCATE

Many KCSD members are respected search dog experts who in turn teach throughout the northwest and around the world. KCSD also has an active outreach program to raise awareness of KCSD and to promote personal safety in the wilderness. KCSD members and their dogs visit schools, camps and other groups around King County to provide informative talks and demonstrations. You can find additional information on the Stay Safe and Education Pages.

More about what we do

WHO we are

KCSD Members are all volunteers from the Seattle metropolitan area (King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties) who give up hundreds of hours each year training their personal dogs to the professional calibre required for effective search missions. KCSD volunteers are available for missions 24 hours a day, seven days a week and come from all walks of life. Some members have been engaged in search and rescue work for over twenty years! You can learn more about the history and governance of KCSD, browse photo and video albums, and find information on current and past KCSD teams and support personnel in the WHO we are pages.

YOU can help

KCSD dogs love to search! Nevertheless, we would much rather meet you at one of our outreach events than as the subject of a Sheriff’s search mission. Before you go out to enjoy the wonderful pacific northwest learn what common sense preparations you can make to keep your activities fun and safe. KCSD is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization and depends on help from the community it serves. You can help KCSD continue its important work through cash or in-kind donations to help the ongoing need for expensive specialized equipment and maintenance. Learn more on the YOU can help pages.

National TV spotlight on KCSD search dog!

Who was that dog?? ABC/ESPN, KOMO4 recently included a wonderful short profile of our very own K9 Lincoln. It aired during their broadcast of the 25th AKC National Championship Dog Show where Lincoln was a great ambassador for all hardworking SAR dogs even though he was an over-excited hot mess the one time he entered a show ring. You can see the video here: https://www.kcsearchdogs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/AKC-NC-Lincoln-SEGMENTsmall.mp4 We are very proud of Lincoln and all his KCSD teammates and we are especially grateful for the support we continue to receive from the community that they serve. Best wishes to everyone for a […]

Thank You!

As King County Search Dogs celebrates 30 years of service to the community we want to acknowledge and thank everyone who has made this great team possible including the many generous donors, King County Sheriff’s Office and the rest of King County Search and Rescue, all the past and current KCSD members, and especially all the wonderful dogs. Best wishes to everyone for a safe and successful 2026!

Double Heartbreak

Tragedy can strike without warning or mercy: We are heartbroken to share that K9 Max died suddenly last week. Max was a beloved 7 year old long-haired German Shepherd; a gentle giant whose thick coat made him appear much larger than his 90 lbs. A highly accomplished search dog, Max was certified in airscent, land and water human remains, crime scene and successfully located the lost on more than one occasion. Max and his handler Linda responded frequently to searches across western Washington where they earned the love and respect of many in the SAR community. Watching Linda and Max […]

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