THE VOLUNTEER GROUP, Irish Search Dogs, has joined together with the Missing Persons’ Helpline, in the search for the 6,000 people who are reported missing in Ireland every year.

The Missing Persons’ Helpline provides a support service for family and friends of missing persons, while Irish Search Dogs carries out searches nationwide upon call-outs from emergency services. Now both voluntary groups will be able to expand the scope of their remit and hopefully success in finding the 16 people who go missing in Ireland on average  every day, by providing a direct link between the helpline and search services.

Glen Barton, Chairman of Irish Search Dogs said this service will not require people to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing. He added that uniting the two organisations will hopefully increase the success rate of finding missing people in Ireland:

Creating a formal partnership will help us to provide a better service and hopefully help reunite missing loved ones with their families.

The Irish Search Dogs is staffed by volunteers and works primarily with bloodhounds which are used for trailing and sheepdogs amongst other breeds which are used for air-scenting missing persons.  Their dogs are trained to locate missing persons on both land and water.

Missing in Ireland Support Services (MISS) operates the Missing Persons’ Helpline and a support service to families and friends of those who have gone missing through its dedicated helpline 1890 442 552.

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