I Mission Statement II Membership Requirements III Team Etiquette IV Communication Guidelines V Issued Equipment VI Use of SARDOG Logo VII 90 Day Policy VIII Dismissal Policy IX Commitment Letter
Search and Rescue Dogs of Georgia is a non profit organization whose mission is to assist official agencies responsible for finding lost persons and saving lives with multi-trained dog teams, at no cost to the requesting party.
(Approved 7/17/99)
Voting Membership Requirements:
The following items are required for Mission Ready
Status:
Suggested Reading:
Scent and the Scenting Dog by William G. Syrotuck
Ready! by Susan Bulanda
Search and Rescue Dogs by the American Rescue Dog Association
Fundamentals of Search and Rescue by NASAR
(Approved 7/17/99)
Training / Meeting Etiquette:
At training sessions mission ready dogs work first, then advanced trainees & so on.
Except when working, dogs should be on lead, crated or in vehicle.
Be prepared to clean up after your dog (when applicable).
To prevent conflict, do not leave food bowls unattended. Do not throw toys or give treats (chew bones) in front of other dogs.
Correct aggression immediately.
Excessive barking will not be tolerated, be prepared to correct your dog.
Communicate to others where you will be working. Avoid interfering with other teams who are training.
Come prepared with plenty of food and water for you and your dog.
All team members will participate by being targets for other team members.
SARDOG t-shirts should be worn at SARDOG functions including training.
(Approved 7/17/99)
(Approved 7/17/99)
Voting members will be issued (1) blue t-shirt, business cards and brochures.
Mission Ready Handlers and Support will be issued (2) yellow t-shirts, radios and magnetic signs.
Equipment will be issued on an availability basis.
Pagers will be issued to members who have fulfilled the following qualifications: (Note: Monthly service fee is the responsibility of the member.)
All issued equipment is the property of SARDOG and members will be responsible for equipment issued to them. Value will be determined by the cost to replace the item. Normal wear and tear and maintenance will be covered by SARDOG. Loss or misuse is not covered and is the responsibility of the member.
(Approved 7/17/99)
The SARDOG logo is reserved for the official use of SARDOG. Magnetic vehicle signs will be displayed only on parked vehicles while actually participating in a mission or training. If necessary to pass through traffic control on an actual mission the signs may be displayed on a moving vehicle. Personal use is prohibited. Signs will only be issued to mission ready members. Letterhead stationery will be issued to officers of SARDOG only. Business cards and brochures will be issued to all members.
The use of the SARDOG logo on a commercial flight is a special privilege. Trained dogs are allowed in the cabin of some airlines but it is very restricted. Whenever you fly in this manner you are representing every search dog team in the U.S. Special permission must be obtained from three (3) officers of SARDOG before you can fly your dog in the cabin of a commercial plane.
SARDOG logo can only be used on official SARDOG functions. This includes and is not limited to uniforms, business cards, brochures, magnetic signs and dog vest with logo.
The use of the SARDOG logo on clothing will be the following:
(Approved 7/17/99)
Failure of a dog team (one dog and one handler) or a support member to maintain their search and rescue skills could result in the death of a victim who is lost or, at the very least, the loss of SARDOG's credibility in the search and rescue community. Therefore, any team member who is inactive for a period of 90 days or more (failure to train or participate in missions) will lose their mission ready status and will not be considered for mission ready status reinstatement until the following has been completed and approved by (3) SARDOG Officers.
This policy will be enforced by the Vice Chairman.
Approved 7/17/99
SARDOG's mission is to assist official agencies responsible for finding lost persons and saving lives with multi-trained dog teams. In order to accomplish our mission it is necessary for SARDOG to present dog teams who adhere to the values, vision and policies and procedures of SARDOG.
Conflict and dismissal issues will be dealt with in a fair and expedient manner by the Officers of SARDOG. Issues should be presented to an officer in writing. The Vice Chairman is responsible for any actions deemed necessary. (Letter of reprimand, automatic dismissal, etc).
|
Dismissal Issues |
Action |
|
Convicted of a felony |
Automatic |
|
Consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs while in uniform |
Automatic |
|
Endangering a SARDOG member |
Automatic |
|
Abusive to members or dogs |
Automatic |
|
Misappropriation of SARDOG funds |
Automatic |
|
Failure to comply with SARDOG Policies and Procedures |
*Officer Review |
* Officer Review -Failure to comply with SARDOG Policy and Procedures will result in an officer review. The officers of SARDOG will review infractions and will respond accordingly by majority vote. Officers are subject to the same action. Failure to adhere to policy and procedures can result in dismissal.
Appeal Process - You may appeal actions taken by the officers of SARDOG within sixty days of the receipt of the action. The appeal must be in writing and presented to the Secretary for presentation to the membership. The Secretary must immediately notify membership by distributing the written appeal to voting members. The appeal will be reviewed at the next scheduled meeting.
(Approved 7/17/99)
I ____________________________________ have read and fully understand Search and Rescue Dogs of Georgia's Mission Statement, Membership Handbook and Policies and Procedures and I ___________________________will uphold the values and standards set forth by SARDOG.
________________________________________
Signature
_______________________
Date
(Approved 7/17/99)