Andorra Launches Canine Tracking for Missing Children and Vulnerable People
ARPA introduces pre-collected odour samples for dogs to accelerate searches in Andorra's mountains during outings and hikes.
Key Points
- Odour samples collected via neck wipe and stored for instant use in missing person searches.
- Demo video shows dog Thor tracking simulated missing child's scent successfully.
- Complements existing operations using international canine rescue techniques.
- Tailored for Andorra's rugged terrain to boost security forces' effectiveness.
The Andorran animal protection and welfare association ARPA is launching a canine tracking initiative to speed up searches for missing children or vulnerable individuals, such as those with Alzheimer's, during school trips, day centre outings, or mountain activities.
The system involves collecting an odour sample beforehand—using a cloth wiped across the person's neck and stored in a labelled bag. If someone goes missing, the sample would be handed directly to a trained search dog, enabling rescuers to begin tracking immediately and with greater accuracy. ARPA draws on established international techniques used by specialised canine rescue teams, positioning this as a complement to existing search operations.
To promote the project, ARPA has produced a demonstration video featuring Thor, one of its trained tracking dogs—typically used to find lost pets—successfully following the scent of a child simulated as missing. The footage highlights how a pre-collected sample allows the dog to start the search without delay.
ARPA emphasises that Andorra's mountainous terrain, popular with tourists, makes quick and straightforward search protocols essential. The association argues that integrating such methods would enhance the effectiveness of security forces' dogs in real operations.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: