Chesapeake Search Dogs assist law enforcement in finding missing people
By Jennifer Franciotti
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ELDERSBURG, Maryland (WBAL) — When someone is missing, the volunteer nonprofit Chesapeake Search Dogs (CHESARDA) provides critical assistance to law enforcement and emergency agencies by operating 24/7 free of charge to search in wilderness settings.
Dogs make a difference Loren Kim, a K-9 handler, and her dog, Peyote, are part of CHESARDA’s team.
“I do what I do because I love being able to make a difference,” Kim told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Sue King, operations director and K-9 handler, explained the types of cases they handle.
“Hikers or hunters that are late, haven’t returned, people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, people that maybe runaways, teens, toddlers. Sometimes, toddlers can travel very far, very quickly,” King told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Sally Robb, the nonprofit’s executive director, described how the organization operates.
“We have a 24-hour hotline, and when someone goes missing, they reach out to their local law enforcement agency, sometimes Maryland State Police or other entities, and they’ll call us and we will gather as many people as they need, and we will try to deploy it right away,” Robb told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Covering more area quickly Sgt. Craig Snyder of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division, highlighted the importance of CHESARDA’s work.
“A lot of our searches are 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 acres or more. Force multiplier is needed, and we are constantly working together. More dogs cover more area quicker, and we find the person, hopefully, alive,” Snyder told WBAL-TV 11 News.
“More dogs cover more area quicker, and we find the person, hopefully, alive.”
CHESARDA is entirely volunteer-based, with a 28-member team that trains twice a week and every second Saturday. They are deployed not only in Maryland but across the country.
“We’ve been called out to Texas, Alabama, North Carolina. Recently, it’s been West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, D.C., Pennsylvania,” Kim told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Volunteers needed to help with training The organization relies on donations to cover expenses, including pet insurance for the dogs. They also need volunteer hiders for training exercises.
“I do what I do because I love being able to make a difference.”
“It’s exciting for the dogs to have someone that’s not hidden for them before,” Robb told WBAL-TV 11 News. “If you want to just come out, maybe get some volunteer hours or just enjoy our beautiful state parks, we would love to have people come and hide for us.”
The work CHESARDA does is vital, with outcomes that make a difference.
“It’s very rewarding when you find that missing child. It’s just your heart overflows,” King told WBAL-TV 11 News. “The dogs can tell. To them, it’s a game.”
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