Swiss search and rescue dogs were having trouble entering Japan due to strict Japanese rules on imported animals. [more inside]
posted by anya32 on Mar 16, 2011 - 34 comments

"Girl, he died a hero with tons of people loving him." A jack-of-all-trades worker from Florida came to Houston to help clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, and was killed while trying to save three dogs on a freeway. At first, it seemed the man, while praised as a local hero, and receiving tons of support in death from animal lovers, would remain an unknown loner in death as he had been in life. Then a Google search and an exchange of e-mails led one Houston woman to the man's daughter, living in Pittsburgh. The young woman had been searching for her father for thirteen years.
posted by WolfDaddy on Oct 8, 2008 - 37 comments

The forgotten heros: dogs. Rescue dogs need booties for their feet (such as these) to protect them from the rubble and glass as the search for survivors continues. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is also asking for donations now.
posted by mathowie on Sep 14, 2001 - 16 comments

Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking has rescued 12,801 people worldwide. It's one of those deep (governmental) web sites that are brief, interesting and ad-free. A sample: "On March 31, 2001, the Cospas-Sarsat system detected a 212.5/243.0 MHz distress signal south of Punta Gorda, CA. A single engine Cessna 150 aircraft had crashed. CGD11 launched a helicopter and located the aircraft, nose down in 5-10 feet of water."
posted by Mo Nickels on Jul 2, 2001 - 1 comment