British International Rescue Dogs

BIRD was formed in 1995 after many years of trying to set up a team of dog handlers who were willing to train dogs for disaster work both Nationally and Internationally.

The service offered by these highly trained dogs is completely free and the handlers are all volunteers.
The team is made up of general members of the public and also members of the Fire Service who are willing and ready for immediate deployment to both natural and man made disasters anywhere in the world.

The team is a member of the National Urban Search and Rescue Dog Group (NUSARDG) and are deployed by the Department for International Development, (DFID) for international incidents as part of the U.K. commitment to INSARAG department of the United Nations.

BIRD has over the years gained a reputation as one of the leading dog groups in the U.K. in the field of specialist search dogs and has attended incidents in India, Turkey, Algeria, Mozambique , Iran and more recently Pakistan.

Bird has also undertaken many humanitarian operations throughout it’s ten years of operation notably in Gambia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania and the 2004 Tsunami and is presently involved in a project to build a school room in Pakistan.

The team is committed to saving life and alleviating suffering wherever it is needed and relies on public donations for it’s support. Being a registered charity it operates on a very small budget with very high operating costs.