Search & Rescue Dogs

PC Phil Nankivell with new police dog Clover

Camborne has been chosen as one of the areas where new specially Springer spaniels trained to hunt for lost people will be based.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has become the first police force in the country to train such dogs and has three Springer spaniels and one Brittany dog whose sole job is to hunt for people who have become lost and are potentially in danger.

Traditionally, the force has used German Shepherd dogs that possess a range of specialist search skills but are used mainly for tracking and stopping criminals.

Specialist dogs from the Search and Rescue Dog Association and voluntary mountain rescue teams are also used.

The spaniels differ in skill because they are trained to bark when they find someone; they run backwards and forwards between the person and their handler, eventually leading the handler to their find.

Dog Inspector Andy Lilburn said: “Our existing general purpose dogs are fantastic at what they do but vulnerable people are often scared when confronted by a German Shepherd Dog.

“These Lost Person Search Dogs have no other skills and are pure specialists in finding people who are lost. They are ideally suited to the rural areas of our Force and take our capacity to search quickly, effectively and safely to a higher level.”

The dogs are trained to look for lost people across all terrain including moorland, woodland and riverbanks, and in large buildings.

“People become lost for a number of reasons. They could be walkers who have lost their bearings in bad weather, vulnerable young people who have run away or people who are intent on harming themselves.

“We are most often called out to find elderly people with dementia who have wandered off from home and the dogs are invaluable in these instances.

“The spaniels have a very friendly temperament so are perfect for these types of searches. They work well with people and other animals. They have a lot of stamina and are keen working dogs which is crucial when searching for long periods of time.”

PC Phil Nankivell from Camborne will look after Clover a 15-month-old spaniel that has already successfully found two people, saving valuable police time and resources.

One young woman had run away from a care home but she was scared of large dogs. The friendly spaniel found her, making it far less traumatic than if a German Shepherd had been deployed.

“In another case, the dog found a vulnerable young man who had run away from home in open countryside at night. Clover found him very quickly which was reassuring for his family,” said Insp Lilburn.