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.

GET READY TO GIVE BIG!

King County Search Dogs has been there 24/7/365 for 30 years working to help reunite Washington families. Each of our members averages 182 hours/year volunteering on search missions and training activities but we can’t do it without your help.Consider helping King County Search Dogs during GiveBig 2026 and through the end of the year during our anniversary fundraising. Every donation helps and every dollar of your gift will be matched up to $10,000 by a generous supporter.https://www.wagives.org/organization/kcsearchdogs#VolunteerService #Searchdogs #dogs #searchandrescue

Someone is Having a Birthday 🎂🎁🎉

Formed in 1996 with first deployment in 1997, KCSD is celebrating 30 years of service to Washington State and the King County Sheriff’s Office including over 1,240 search missions with King County Search and Rescue. Please join us as we profile our wonderful dog teams as well as training and community outreach activities over the next year. KCSD is 100% volunteer and depends community support. You can help during the 2026 Give Big Day appeal on Tuesday and our 30th Birthday fundraiser where your donation will be matched by a generous supporter doubling your impact. (https://www.wagives.org/organization/kcsearchdogs) #VolunteerService #Searchdogs #SearchAndRescue

Farewell to a K9 Superstar

💔 K9 Natick Wilderness Searcher: 9/2/2012-4/25/2026. It’s what happens in that dash between the years that counts: Natick began his introduction to KCSD at 8 weeks, certified in wilderness airscent at 21 months and deployed on first official mission a week later. In 2015 he helped find a camper who was reported missing but wasn’t actually lost and in 2016 helped find a father and son from Germany visiting our region who got lost on a hike in the Alpine Lakes. Natick added certifications in Cadaver and Human Remains Detection through KCSD and NSDA. Throughout his career he helped make […]

More Search Dog News