Who We Are

The Mission

The members of Louisiana Search and Rescue K9 Team (LaSAR) have made a commitment to assist the community by training dogs and their handlers to excel in the rescue or recovery of those in need and to work in conjunction with law enforcement agencies to bring about a successful conclusion to the search. It is this commitment to the community, which remains the guiding force behind LaSAR.

  • The concept to start the first search and rescue dog team in Louisiana began in late 1989. After months of research and development to put together a solid training program, the first dog began training with its owner/handler in March of 1990.
  • In January 1991, LaSAR was founded as a totally volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization involved in search and rescue of lost or missing individuals. The team is based in St. Tammany Parish.
  • LaSAR is not bound by any parish or state boundaries and is available to local, state and federal agencies on a 24 hour basis at no cost to the agency or family.
  • Teams (a dog and its owner-handler) are tested and must pass strict national certification standards before being allowed to respond to a call out. Teams are certified in one or more of the following disciplines: wilderness, water, building, cadaver, disaster and urban capabilities.
  • Dogs are trained to identify human scent and have the ability to discriminate one human scent from another.
  • In water searches, the team works out of a boat with the dog locating where the body’s scent is breaking the surface of the water. This gives the divers or other volunteers a specific area to search for the body.

Accomplishments

  • Since our first call out in May 1991, we have responded to over 800 call outs from law enforcement.
  • LaSAR has responded to call outs in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, Alaska, Canada and Puerto Rico.
  • A LaSAR handler was contracted by the FBI to handle cases anywhere an American life was lost.
  • Two of LaSAR’s handlers are instructors/evaluators for national level search and rescue organizations.
  • LaSAR search dogs have successfully rescued numerous Alzheimer patients and lost hunters.
  • LaSAR search dogs have successfully alerted to the location of many drowning victims. Some were located under both water and marsh/sand as well as locating double and triple drowning victims.
  • A LaSAR member helped found the National Search Dog Alliance.
  • LaSAR members assisted with the New Orleans Riverwalk disaster.
  • LaSAR members worked the Columbia Space Shuttle accident.
  • LaSAR members worked for several weeks in Louisiana and Mississippi, helping clear numerous areas after Hurricane Katrina.
  • LaSAR located the victims of the Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans.
  • LaSAR is at the forefront of the K9 division of the Louisiana State Fire Marshall’s USAR team.