The phrase "man's best friend" has rarely held more meaning.

Among the many heroes of the days and weeks following the tragic events of September 11, were a cadre of search and rescue dogs who joined their human teammates at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and at the crash site in Pennsylvania.

These highly trained animals worked tirelessly for days with their handlers, searching the wreckage in hope of finding survivors and, later, searching the debris for any traces of those whose lives were lost.

Making a difference
Among those was Penny Sullivan, of Chester, New York, who with her two German Shepherds, Quest and Lolli, spent 10 days working at Ground Zero. Like other canine Search and Rescue (SAR) team members, Penny is a volunteer, motivated by the desire to make a difference.

For Penny, who has been active in canine search and rescue since 1971, it was not the first or the largest disaster she has ever worked. Her canine search and rescue work has taken her around the globe. She searched for survivors in Puerto Rico after the 1985 mudslides killed thousands and in Soviet Armenia after the 1988 earthquake took an estimated 25,000 lives.

In fact, SAR dog teams respond to a wide range of situations. They may be called in to search for survivors and/or victims of avalanches, earthquakes, floods, explosions, fires, train wrecks, plane crashes, tornadoes and other disasters. They may be asked to find a lost child, or an Alzheimer's patient, or to locate a hiker or hunter lost in the woods. And some teams are specially trained to help law enforcement units locate evidence of crimes.

Who gets involved?
"The handler and dog are a team," explains Penny. The nature of the work makes the relationship a special one and the bond is deep. "I am in awe of the dog's ability. It is the finest example I can think of dog being man's best friend.'

As the former president and current vice president of The American Rescue Dog Association (ARDA), the nation's oldest air-scenting search dog organization, Penny knows many men and women involved in canine search and rescue. "Many people get involved because of their interest in working with dogs. Some of us are dog trainers, others are simply pet owners. But we all are impressed by the dogs' ability to help save a life, and intrigued by the idea that we can be of service," she explains.

Characteristics that make a good SAR dog include trainability, agility, endurance, and the ability to get along with other dogs and people, according to the National Association of Search and Rescue. Most SAR dogs come from the larger working and sporting breeds, such as German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, Giant Schnauzers, and Labradors.

However, notes Penny, many dogs of other breeds can be effective. "Dogs who like the hunt and have a strong play drive usually do the best at search and rescue. For the dog, it is a game and the handler must learn the best ways to motivate his or her dog," says Penny.

Training and certification
Working as part of a canine SAR team is big commitment of time. Training the dog to be "mission-ready" can take as long as 18 months if you are starting with a puppy, about a year if the dog is already socialized and has mastered basic obedience training.

In addition to the dog's training, the handler must meet certain requirements as well. Most units require a minimum of Advanced First Aid with CPR. They must also be proficient in land navigation, map and compass, radio communications and wilderness survival.

Because of the rigorous evaluation standards, teams often specialize in specific types of search work: some focus on wilderness rescue, others on urban rescue, still others on forensic work.

For urban work, like the search and rescue work done at Ground Zero in Manhattan, a team must be certified by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). This involves passing a series of tests every two years. The evaluations include obedience, agility, and special tests designed to test the dog's ability to locate victims and to communicate that find to their human partners.

Getting started
Most handlers say that the best way to get started is to visit several search & rescue groups in your area and observe. When you find a group you are comfortable with, join the search unit and you will get training and work with other search dog handlers. The National Association of Search and Rescue lists more than 240 canine teams in its national database in the Canine SAR Section at http://www.nasar.org.

Of course, not all of us have the time, or the right dog, to get involved in search and rescue work. But there are other ways to help. The majority of SAR teams are not-for-profit, all-volunteer groups who assist law enforcement and emergency services agencies at no cost to the agency. They depend upon donations and support from the public for their continued operation.

For more information about canine search and rescue, or to make a donation, visit The American Rescue Dog Association's website at http://www.ardainc.org or go to http://www.nasar.org.