Contact Us
If you are interested in learning more about SRDI, you may attend one of our monthly meetings, email us, or write to us at the address below. Check our calendar for other upcoming events where you can meet and talk to SRDI members and dogs.
SRDI General Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at the SARA House, located at 3455 North Craycroft in Tucson (map here). Meetings start at 7:00 pm and typically last for two hours. Visitors are always welcome.
SRDI holds three formal training sessions each month, two for a full Sunday and one on a Wednesday evening, at different locales in southern Arizona. Visitors are welcome to attend if they make a request in advance and sign a waiver before participating.
Interested in Joining SRDI?
If you think you would like to join our team, we look forward to meeting you! However, there are a few things you should consider.
First of all, search & rescue is a tremendous time commitment. Although not everyone who joins the team needs to attend every training, event, and callout, the reality is that the more you put into it, the more you will get back. Formal trainings take place only three times a month, but informal training within the team happens on a weekly if not daily basis. Handlers beginning a new dog in tracking are expected to work the dog a minimum of three times per week.
In addition, you should realize that there is much more to K-9 search & rescue than dog training. Our members are required to show competence in a wide variety of outdoor, survival, and medical skills before they will be certified as Mission Ready. Because of these important non-canine requirements, new members must attend 18 formal trainings before they will be permitted to bring a dog into the group. This generally takes about a year and is not negotiable.
Finally, the hard truth is that a great amount of our callouts are cadaver searches. We all have various levels of comfort with this part of the work, but anyone who joins SRDI will need to participate in cadaver training and searches.
If you have considered these points and still feel that SRDI is right for you, we invite you to get in touch with us. Come to our next General Meeting (see above for details), or if you prefer, email is the best way to get yourself invited to a training.
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