Q: What is Alpha Team K9 SAR?
Answer: Alpha Team is an organization founded by a group of individual volunteers dedicated to assisting law enforcement agencies with the tasks of finding and recovering lost and missing persons. Our team is very active in the community and we work hard to be the very best team we can to always be prepared to assist when needed.

Q: Can dogs actually find lost people faster than many well trained searchers?
Answer: Yes, in addition to moving very quickly and having an incredibly keen sense of smell, sight, and hearing, dogs are also very effective in the dark and in rough terrain where typical ground search teams lose effectiveness.

Q: How long does it take to train and certify an operational search and rescue dog?
Answer: In order to be a successful operational team in SAR, the handler and the dog have to work flawlessly together and both are tested many, many times to ensure they are ready. 18 to 24 months is the typical time required to certify as an operational K9 team for ATSAR.

Q: What can I do as an individual to help your team?
Answer: Alpha Team needs volunteers for K9 training and to be field support members. To join Alpha Team, visit the Contact Us page and we’ll be glad to tell you more about the team.

Q: Can I donate money by mail or on-line to ATSAR?
Answer: Yes! Please visit the Support Our Team page to make secure donations to Alpha Team using any major credit card or via check.

Q: Is the money I donate to Alpha Team going to the people who need it or do you have an overhead staff who receives a percentage of the funding?
Answer: Alpha Team is a professional volunteer nonprofit organization. 100% of all funds received go to support training, the needs of our dogs, and purchasing and maintaining equipment so we can deploy to search emergencies.