When disaster strikes, time is of the essence. The sooner search and rescue teams are dispatched and rescue efforts can commence, the better the chance of finding survivors. Thanks to a new partnership with LIFT, The K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa (K9SARA-SA) will now be able to reduce response times by flying rather than driving to search and rescue locations. 

As the first partnership of its kind for the Search and Rescue industry in South Africa, K9SARA-SA teams and working dogs can arrive at scenes not only quicker but well-rested and ready to work. K9SARA-SA is an NGO, a volunteer association which trains air-scenting search dogs for search and rescue situations.

K9SARA-SA and Jedi, one of the association’s amazing working dogs, recently embarked on a test flight supported by LIFT. Jedi was able to take a seat in the cabin of a commercial LIFT flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

“We set out to test a K9 flight procedure, all done with the dog’s best interests in mind. The test flight was a huge success, allowing Jedi to travel in the cabin rather than in the cargo hold in a crate, which meant a less stressful flight, and therefore a calmer dog on arrival. Jedi was able to board last, so he didn’t need to sit in the cabin longer than necessary. Similarly, to keep Jedi calm, in avoiding a busy rush to disembark the aircraft, Jedi stayed onboard until other passengers left the plane”, says Kerrin Kruger, Western Cape Committee PR Manager, K9SARA-SA. 

LIFT CEO Jonathan Ayache says, “We are so appreciative of the work K9SARA-SA does. It’s a difficult job and we’re proud to partner with them to do what we can to expedite a response in disaster situations. As a dog-friendly airline, the LIFT team loved having Jedi onboard and we know future working dogs will also be welcomed by our team with open arms.” 

Kruger adds “Thank you to the staff and crew on both our flights for an exceptional experience and world-class service. It proved how useful this partnership will be in a time of need. Ultimately it means we get to scenes faster, and get to work sooner, which is the best-case scenario.”

For more information on K9SARA-SA, visit www.k9sara.co.za