Over the last weekend, culminating on Sunday 17th January 2016, in very wintry conditions, at Chew Valley / Dovestones, on the high moorland above Oldham, SARDA England held its January Search Dog assessment course.

Under assessment was Bolton MRT team operational member Jess Ellsmore, who lives in the Standish area, and is a student at Myerscough College, Lancashire.

For the last two years Jess has been training with SARDA England as a Mountain Rescue Air Scenting Search Dog Handler, the other half of the duo being of course Blitz.

We are very happy to report that Jess and Blitz successfully passed the very intensive grading, and have now been declared as an operational SARDA Dog Team, and as such can now be deployed on operational incidents.

Blitz is the third operational Air Scenting SARDA England Search Dog within the history of Bolton MRT, and the fifth operational Mountain Rescue Dog we’ve operated within the Bolton MRT.

Now deceased, our first Air Scenting SARDA England Search Dog was Blue with her Handler Paul Baxendale – who has long left the team, but had a successful career as a SARDA Dog Team.

Blue was joined within a very short period by Air Scenting Search Dog Chi and his Handler Dave Marsh, Chi like Blue had a successful career as a Search Dog, and sadly like Blue has now passed away.

Currently the Bolton MRT operates three types of graded (operational) Mountain Rescue Search Dogs, a fact we think is totally unique within the United Kingdom Mountain Rescue Team framework;

Mountain Rescue Trailing Search Dog Boris, and Handler Steve Nelson, who is a member of SARDA Wales, whilst also a member of Bolton MRT.

Mountain Rescue DVSD / Water (Drowned Victims Search Dog) Search Dog Sasha, and Handler Dave Marsh, who is a member of SARDA Ireland North, whilst also a member of Bolton MRT.

Mountain Rescue Air Scenting Search Dog Blitz, and Handler Jess Ellsmore, who is a member of SARDA England, whilst also a member of Bolton MRT.

Operating all three types of Mountain Rescue graded operational Search Dogs, will now enable the Bolton MRT to offer a unique Search Dog capability, within our day to day responses and elsewhere, wherever and whenever our specialist Dog Handlers and their superb Search dogs are required.

Congratulations Jess from all your colleague team members.