Search and rescue dogs serve on the frontlines locating people missing after natural disasters, lost children, injured hikers and others, being ready at a moment’s notice to bravely endure the elements and save lives. Supreme Master Ching Hai, world renowned humanitarian, artist and spiritual teacher, speaks of her admiration and concern for these devoted canines.

And I saw many dogs, you know, they used for rescue mission. Oh, they just walk in like nothing, but I feel so bad about them.

The dogs walk in the sharp, broken glasses or anything like that. Even chemical leaking or anything, or germs or danger.

And these are precious dogs. They have been trained for years. And they even lay down their life for anyone at command. You have to protect that dog.

To show Her loving support for search dogs and their human partners, Supreme Master Ching Hai has generously contributed more than US$100,000 to search-and-rescue teams in 21 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Iran, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

Today’s program features two of these courageous teams, namely the Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association (OVSARDA) in Canada, and K-SAR Chile in Chile. Let's first visit Ottawa, Canada, and meet the Team Administrative Officer and Senior Handler, Randy Kerr, who gives a brief introduction to his non-profit organization.

We are all volunteers. Our dogs are our pets. They live with us. We train weekly up to 10 hours. We meet every two weeks in a team training format to carry on our goal of training our dogs to meet OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) canine testing (standards) in Gravenhurst (Ontario).

To be a member of the team, a dog must embark on a comprehensive training program, lasting as long as three years. After completion, she is eligible to take a test at the Ontario Provincial Police K-9 Academy. If she passes, she will become a certified search and rescue dog. The training involves intensive teamwork.

We work as a group, supporting each other. I could never have achieved what I have achieved with my dog if it weren't for the rest of the people on my team, encouraging me, and hiding and setting up tracks for me to train. I feel very privileged to be part of this team. And, through my dog, I have met some very, very unique people and appreciate all that they have done for me, within the team.

We now meet some of the delightful and dedicated dogs from the Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association.

Okay, her name is Flossy and she's a Vizsla She's a very good friend. She travels everywhere with me. If I'm going to the store, she'll come with me or she's just my companion. Our dogs really are service dogs/pets that sleep on the end of our beds or, go to the cottage with us or are there with us at most times.

After a hard day of training, Mr. Kerr sometimes gives Flossy one of her favorite treats, chunks of fresh, sweet cantaloupe. Let’s now meet Stanley.

Danielle, could you tell us the name of your dog?

Hi, my dog is Stanley. He's a nine month old German Shepherd. And he's got a lot of spunk; he really loves to work. He loves doing this so much that it's a hard time holding him back when I get started. He's also really snuggly and a really good pet. I love to have him.

Pauline, could you tell us the name of your dog and describe his character?

Quinn is a one year old German Shepherd and he's always ready to work. As soon as he has any idea that I'm going out, he'll follow me all over the house. So we get into the truck and as soon as we get here, he's revving to go. But luckily at the moment, he's snoozing. So he's a lot fun.

Team members now demonstrate how a search and rescue dog can quickly and efficiently conduct a search for someone who is lost.

So we have Flossy ready to go find somebody lost in the forest. She's been sent out to search.

She's found the person and she will run back and let her caretaker know.

Her bark is the alert to say that she's found somebody.

Okay, now she's going to show where the person is. Sometimes the person is far away, so the dog needs to come back and forth and let the handler know, because the dogs are a lot faster than the person.

Members were delighted when presented with a contribution of US$1,000 from Supreme Master Ching Hai for the care of their canine teammates along with her international #1 bestselling book, “The Noble Wilds.”

Thank you. Thank you very much.

You're welcome. And also, we would like you to enjoy a book from Supreme Master Ching Hai called, “The Noble Wilds.” Since you're very often in the wild to do your work, you will appreciate the depth of what is written in the book.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Kerr has been concerned about his canine companion, Flossy, because she often gets cold when working outside in the deep snow. He plans to use some of the funds to buy her a warm winter jacket and has this heartfelt message for Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Thank you very much for your donation and we will use it toward the betterment, and comfort for our dogs.

When we return, we will travel to Santiago, Chile, to visit with members of K-SAR Chile. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Welcome back to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants and our program featuring two search and rescue dog teams from the Americas. In the magnificent surroundings of Chile, we meet another devoted group of canines and their caregivers from K-SAR Chile. Freddy Reyes is the president of this all-volunteer non-profit organization.

Through our canine companions, we can in some way relieve the suffering, with the capacity to provide a quick response, and using this resource we can save a life.

Gerardo Donoso, vice president of K-SAR Chile and in charge of canine training, now explains why he and others volunteer to perform search and rescue work.

The truth is all the members of this group personally feel the need of helping others, to assist our compatriots and the rest of humanity, to aid them in emergencies. We have people in our group that have worked with other organizations related to emergency relief, who have come here because it combines the desire of helping others, with the love for nature, and also combines the love for the job that we do with our canine teammates. At the end, this union of things led people to take part in this activity and to make us capable of improving what we do; to fulfill our goals of training, and most important, the operation, the emergency rescue work.

Search and rescue work is not limited to select breeds of dogs. In fact, a wide range of breeds can be trained for the task.

Auka for example, is a mutt, a mix of German Shepherd and Belgian Shepherd. We have chosen and kept this girl for this job. At present, we have dogs from different breeds that we use, but we also have gotten dogs that we rescued. For example, Kika, whom we will see next, is a dog we rescued from the street one day when we were in a meeting. She came to us when she was three months old.

This is Kika, a dog whom, as I said, we rescued when she was three months old, and she was a very undernourished canine with many medical problems. She has been through all kinds of treatments to recover. Soon after that, she started her training.

Today Kika is seven years old, she lives with us and she has passed all the training required as a rescue dog. She has been involved in the vast majority of emergencies that we have been involved in. Already there have been twenty-three emergencies in which we have been involved. This dog is a dog with lots of experience regarding searching for people.

Working for a canine search and rescue organization provides a caregiver the opportunity to forge a very close relationship with their dog companion.

People who have got dogs at home take care of them and treat them as part of their families. Apart from being members of our families, living and sharing with them day to day, we work with them. When we are training in the mountains and we are on a search, I believe that if you have experienced it, there is nothing as strong as a bond between a rescue animal and his guide searching for a person in a mountain. I believe that when your dog is searching, one becomes 100% part of that dog.

There have been cases in the past when I even recognized how a dog moves his tail, how he sniffs, to the point that I can sense how is he feeling and what is he doing. Many times we have been asked for example, if we could train a dog and then give him back to his caregiver. I say “no” because we do not refer to it as a dog and his guide. We refer to them as a pair. The two are volunteers and when we find a good pair, deep down they are one only. We are one; our canine buddy and his guide are only searching as one.

The members of K-SAR Chile were deeply touched by Supreme Master Ching Hai's kind contribution of US$1,000 for care of their canine teammates.

Well, firstly, I would like to thank you on behalf of my team, “K-SAR” from Chile, a group that works with a lot of sacrifice. We didn’t even know the people but they came to us with this donation and only with the intention to help us and to help humanity. Your work is noble and very beautiful and from this viewpoint, I think our organizations are related, because we have a common purpose and a common direction, and the direction comes from a spiritual aspect which is what we do. So congratulations for what you do, because it is noble work, and it is really admirable to see that there are people who care so much about what is happening with the planet.

May the Providence bless the heroic and dedicated canines and their compassionate caregivers from the Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association and K-SAR Chile, and similar groups all over the world who selflessly devote their time and energy to protect and save the lives of others. Their love and dedication is an inspiration to all. For more details please visit: Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association K-SAR Chile

Thank you for joining us on Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Coming up next is Enlightening Entertainment, following Noteworthy News, here on Supreme Master Television. May you be blessed with wisdom, abundance, and joy.

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