A DEDICATED dog and handler have been awarded the highest grade possible for a search team.

Helen Morton and her dog Skye, from Clitheroe, have been granted Full Search Team status after successfully completing the annual Pedigree Chum-sponsored assessment course for the Search and Rescue Dog Association.

Handler and dog teams from England and Wales were assessed on a number of searches carried out in Snowdonia and were observed by assessors from the English, Welsh and Irish Search and Rescue Dog Associations.

Helen has definitely had the necessary practice. She recently helped to track down a missing Darwen man who was camping out on the moors above the town. In the tests, each team had to find volunteer "bodies" concealed in locations unknown to them within a designated area, using the dog's ability to detect and follow air scents, together with the handler's skill and understanding of the terrain and weather. Jed Stone, secretary of SARDA (Wales), said: "We are delighted with the success of this year's assessment course. Our aim as a charity is to save lives and every dog and handler team registered on the call-out list increases the resources available to the police and rescue services.

"Helen and Skye performed particularly well."

The Search and Rescue Dog Association is a registered charity, funded by donations and through sponsorship from the makers of Pedigree Chum dog food.

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