Volunteer non-profit society
We never
stop
looking.
We train and deploy human remains detection canine teams for families, law enforcement and communities seeking answers in missing persons and cold case investigations. We work with dignity, at no cost, for those still waiting.
- No cost
- To families & agencies
- Volunteer
- Non-profit society
- Northern BC
- And surrounding region
- HRD only
- Human remains detection
Our mission
To bring answers, and to do it well.
Our mission is to provide compassionate, professional and ethical human remains detection canine services to families, law enforcement and communities seeking answers in missing persons and cold case investigations.
Through highly trained canine teams, collaboration, education and community outreach, we are committed to bringing hope, supporting investigations and advancing excellence in HRD search operations.
We serve with integrity, respect and dedication — ensuring every search is conducted with professionalism, dignity, and a commitment to those still waiting for answers.
What our dogs are trained to do
Four disciplines. One purpose.
Northern Search & Recovery Dogs Society is a human remains detection resource. We do not conduct live-find search — if a person is missing right now, your first call is 911.
- 01Wide-area & grid
Land HRD
Wilderness, rural and cut-block terrain. Dogs work scent cones across large search areas to locate human remains above and below ground.
- 02Shoreline & boat
Water HRD
Shoreline and boat-based work on lakes and rivers. Scent rises through the water column, allowing teams to narrow a recovery area for divers.
- 03Aged & skeletal
Buried & Historic
Aged, buried and skeletal remains, including scenes years or decades old. Applied to cold case work and unmarked burial sites.
- 04Investigative aid
Evidence Support
Working alongside investigators to define, clear or prioritise areas of interest so that ground resources are directed where they matter.
Handlers & canines
A working dog is half the team.
Behind every deployment is a handler who has spent years learning to read one animal — its posture, its breathing, the moment its behaviour changes. That standard is not reached once and set aside. It is maintained, tested and re-earned.
- Continuous training and independently evaluated standards
- Detailed search documentation for investigators
- Deployment alongside police, coroners and SAR groups
From the field
The work behind an operational team.
Training days and deployments in northern British Columbia. Most of this work happens long before anyone calls us.
Obedience & control
Scent article work
Training day
Search patterns
Ground coverage
Hover to pause
For families
You do not need the right words to contact us.
Many of the people who reach out to us are exhausted, and have told their story more times than they can count. You do not need a file number, a theory, or a plan. Tell us what you can, and we will take it from there — including telling you honestly if a canine search is not the right tool for your situation.
Start a conversation