Shropshire Star

From rescued to rescuer: Unwanted pup now a specialist search and rescue dog

From being an unwanted pup at a dog’s home, Dyno is now a pooch on a mission.

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Dyno, the border collie, who has gone from rescued to rescuer with Matthew who put his faith in training the pet for the role

The border collie has just qualified as a search and rescue dog and so far has been involved in 11 searches for missing people.

Dyno was spotted at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury by Matthew Massey as a six-month-old puppy.

Matthew, who was already volunteering with Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), wanted to give a permanent home to a dog who could potentially become part of the specialist team – and young Dyno showed huge potential as soon as they met.

Matthew said: “Search and rescue dogs need to have a high work drive, be intelligent, energetic, love people and want to interact with them.

"They also need to love toys as they form a big part of the reward based training.

"It’s quite a long list but when I chatted to staff at the centre, they immediately suggested Dyno and as soon as I met him I knew he ticked all the boxes.”

After more than two years of training every other weekend, which Matthew fitted in alongside his job as a gardener, Dyno has now graduated, achieving the Search and Rescue Search Dog Standard accredited by the National Association of Specialist Dog Users which governs and trains dogs for the police and security services, along with the Ministry of Defence.

He is now a lowland search and rescue dog for SARA and is on call for West Midlands and West Mercia Police.

Since graduating he has been involved in eleven searches for missing people. ​​​

Matthew, who lives in Bromsgrove with his wife, Mandy and 15-year-old son Andrew, added: “He took to the training straight away and picked things up very quickly.

“We can be called out to help day or night, 365 days a year and although he’s a great family dog, as soon as his SARA jacket goes on he knows he’s working.

“He gets really excited and starts barking. The police contact us to either confirm that a person isn’t in a particular area or to actively search for a person.

“Our latest search covered a rural area of around four miles and it’s vital that Dyno is focused at all times to maximise the chance of the search being successful.

“He is turning out to be a real star. We’re very proud of him.”

Louise Campbell, manager at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury, said: “Dyno came to us as a very young pup.

“He was absolutely delightful and I can remember when Matthew adopted him.

“It’s great to hear that he has truly fulfilled his obvious potential and gone on to become a fantastic search and rescue dog, as well as being a huge part of the family’s life.”