Dogged Determination
Ace Search Dog Team Janine with Teg who have once again pass their open area assessment.
A huge congratulations to Serve On dog handler Janine and ace search dog Teg for passing their open area assessment. Again.
It means Janine and Teg will continue as a qualified Search Dog Team for another three years but it was not achieved without an extremely rigorous test in challenging conditions.
The diamond duo carried out four day-time searches and one night search near the coast in Snowdonia National Park.
Fellow Serve On dog team stalwart Andy, who was heavily involved, said: “I am proud to have been part of the assessment team and very proud of Janine and Teg. Awesome. Job done.”
The assessment was made possible thanks to the help of Colour Sergeant Louise Hughes and her Tywyn Detachment of the Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadets who acted as casualties and Janine expressed her gratitude to them.
Janine said: “After a gruelling five search areas – with four on Friday and one on Saturday – and all other areas passed, I am absolutely chuffed to bits to say that Teg and I passed another assessment.
“Given her age, this will probably be the last assessment she has to go through before retiring.
“I am so very proud of her. She worked in blistering heat in the quarry; two open areas of dunes, pebbles and river estuary near the beach; one area of common land in the dark; and then woodland in heavy to drizzling rain.
“Massive thanks go to Andy Harris for organising, coming up with bizarre scenarios for me, and moral support. Also to Brian Jones from B.I.R.D and Roland Leyland for being independent assessors and setting the ‘casualties’ out in interesting and challenging locations.
“Also, massive thanks to Colour Sergeant Hughes and her army cadets for being brilliant casualties.”
Serve On volunteers Amhar, Dan and Sam with the inaugural ‘A for Effort’ monthly trophy provided by Garry
While Janine and Teg were being put through their paces, volunteers from Serve On’s International Response Team and UK OPs Team were welcoming the latest new recruits, and cracking on with their monthly training.
It was a welcome opportunity for recently-badged IRT members, fresh from their successful final assessment in Kosovo in April, to get back to practising with tools and making preparations for future training,.
Newly-recruited UK Ops volunteers, including some Rescue Rookies, did their induction training, including familiarisation on radios and communications, mapping systems, navigation and team coordination, and an exercise tying it all together.
Big thanks, meanwhile, to Garry for the magnificent ‘A for Effort’ trophy he came up with for members who go the extra mile (we’re a bit worried about his spelling) and congratulations to Amhar, Sam and Dan who shared the honours for the inaugural monthly award.