Search and Rescue Handlers

Melanie Lewis

Mel is a qualified optometrist and helps out with her husband's dog training and hydrotherapy business.

She has been involved with Search & Rescue since April 2009 after becoming interested when her husband took her along to a training evening

About Berkshire SAR Dogs

Berkshire SAR Dogs is a volunteer dog organisation on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist Search & Rescue Teams, the Police and other Emergency Services.

"Our primary role is to assist in locating lost or missing vulnerable people within Berkshire and its surrounding areas".

Berkshire SAR Dogs became a registered charity in the UK in March 2004 and is entirely reliant on sponsorship and donations to exist and carry out its work.

Since Mel became involved with Berks SAR

Mel qualified as a level 2 handler in 2010 with her dog Mist and is currently working towards qualifying Mist's brother Bodger in level 2.

Success at shows too!

Mel says, "My highlight apart from qualifying Mist was gaining my first ever challenge certificate in showing for my dog Hesky at the LKA show in 2005, Breeze his sister also gained a reserve CC at the same show two years later.”

More dogs ……. more activities

Both Mela and her husband compete in Agility - running their dogs Mist, Breeze and Bodger. They also have three ‘new kids on the block' who will also go on to work in showing, obedience/heelwork to music, agility and search & rescue!