Buckeye Search and Rescue Dogs (a.k.a BSARD) is an all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation of dedicated canines and their handlers.
BSARD celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2024! We were established in May 2004 and incorporated in October of the same year.
Our Mission
BSARD’s mission is to help local, state and federal emergency services agencies locate missing people.
This is achieved by the use of highly-trained scenting dogs and skilled handlers who are able to detect and discriminate the distinctive scent signatures every person leaves behind. Use of these trained dogs and handlers is known as Canine Search and Rescue, often abbreviated as K9-SAR.
Obviously we specialize in K9 methods, and that is our primary focus. Nonetheless, if we are called to an incident and the K9 services are not being used at the moment, we will pitch in to help in whatever capacity is required (for which we are qualified).
Our experience is not limited to K9 handling. Many of our members are also trained ground/grid searchers, and we have the expertise and equipment available to provide underwater sonar search services.
We are insured against liability, loss, and injury by VFIS, a national insurance company focused on first responders. All BSARD members are required to pass a comprehensive criminal background check.
We are not a government agency. As an all-volunteer organization we are not restricted to any county or state boundaries. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are affiliated with several national and international organizations, as well as cooperating in mutual aid with many teams around the region.
Our Values
BSARD adheres to the principle that we are an unpaid Professional Search and Rescue Team.
We never self-deploy. We only respond when called upon by the authority of the jurisdictional Law Enforcement agency, Fire Services agency, Emergency Management entity, or as mutual aid to another SAR organization operating under the same restrictions. We adhere to the standard Incident Command System (ICS) and report to the Incident Commander (IC), Search Manager, or their designated section subordinate.
We maintain confidentiality. BSARD members will not communicate any mission information to unauthorized persons, be they bystanders, friends, family of the missing person(s), or the media. If permitted by the Incident’s Information Officer (IO), we may answer general questions about our team or how K9-SAR works.
Our members will not post ANY mission information (subject, location, agency, respondents, etc.) on any social media platform.
We do not self-certify. Team members and K9/Handler teams certify through respected national and international third party organizations, administered by impartial third parties.
We do not charge any fees for our service. We perform our duties at no cost to the calling agency or the missing person’s family. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we get our funding through grants and unsolicited donations. Handlers and staff are not paid for their participation.
To find out how you can help BSARD in our mission, either physically or financially, please visit our “How You Can Help” page.
Browse our web site to learn more about us. If you find you have more questions that are not answered here, contact us on our non-emergency number (513-683-5785) or via email at genmgr@buckeyesardogs.org. (Please do not use this email address for emergency requests, as it is not constantly monitored. Instead call the emergency telephone number at the top of the page.)
Also check out our social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/buckeyesardogs and https://www.instagram.com/buckeye_sar_dogs/.