2012 General Orientation

Makati City, Philippines - The PhK9SAR opened its door today to the public and held its first general orientation for aspiring K9 search and rescue volunteers. The orientation aims to introduce interested applicants to the advocacy of the group and beef up its dog and handler units in preparation for natural and man-made disaster affecting the Philippines and other countries that will need dog and handler SAR units.

Over a dozen of participants joined in this event, all with common love for animals, particularly for our beloved dogs, and expressed their interests to explore in this noble social endeavor. Many came with some levels of dog training experiences under their belts. Some were training their dogs for pets, while others are seasoned professional dog trainers. Several worked as K9 handlers for a local government within Metro Manila, some compete in dog sports, others own breeding kennels and businesses specializing on providing services using the innate ability of dogs to protect and detect.

The event was held in the Del Pilar meeting room, at 21^st Floor of the Makati City Hall. Assembly and registration time was set at 4:00PM (GMT+8). Some refreshments were served during the orientation.

PhK9SAR Board Members Noel Lim and Hector Reyes formally started the orientation by welcoming new volunteers, introducing PhK9SAR as a non-government organization (NGO), its leaders, staff and operation personnel. It was then followed by a visual presentation showcasing the history of the group, the many operations PhK9SAR sent units to, and the trainings each individual volunteer had undergone and the certifications and recognitions the team and the organization, in general, received.

Basic requirements for becoming a volunteer was discussed, with in-depth explanations provided by Eugene Reyes, Vice President of the organization.The trainings required to achieve a mission ready status for both handlers and dogs were outlined also. A free-flowing open forum between the participants and the PHK9SAR highlighted the event.

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 December 2012 20:18