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Rescue dog Nala finds missing people in Niedereschach in a flash!
On October 27th, 2025, the rescue dog team of the DRK Villingen presented their work in Niedereschach. Special guests were the dog handlers and their rescue dogs, who are essential in the search for missing people.
Rescue dog Nala finds missing people in Niedereschach in a flash!
The DRK Villingen rescue dog team in Niedereschach recently impressively showed what they can do. At the invitation of Monika Blamberger, who runs the assisted living facility at Hummelberg, the emergency services and their four-legged helpers introduced themselves. An exciting day that aroused the curiosity of those present and highlighted the commitment of the volunteers.
There were the two experienced dog handlers, Stephanie Schnekenburger and Ines Hölle-Laufer, who introduced their four rescue dogs. The squadron consists of 16 active dog handlers and a total of ten operational rescue dogs. These can be critical to human lives in an emergency, with dogs having to be trained for at least two years before they can be used. Comprehensive training is on the program: Twice a week, the dog handlers and their animals take part in training sessions of three to four hours as well as further training seminars on the weekends [schwarzwaelder-bote.de].
The versatility of rescue dogs
What can these loyal companions do? Essentially, their main tasks are the search for missing people, especially the elderly, children, mushroom pickers and hikers. Different types of search dogs are used here. There are mantrailers that search using odor samples, such as a worn T-shirt. There are also rubble dogs and area search dogs. In Villingen the focus is on area search dogs that can efficiently cover large areas.
The reasons for their use are varied: rescue dogs are called when, for example, children go missing in the forest or people at risk of suicide or those suffering from dementia need help. In serious cases, such as disasters when buildings have collapsed or there is a threat of flooding, the four-legged rescuers have also often been deployed. According to johanniter.de, dogs can cross sometimes inaccessible areas where police helicopters with thermal imaging cameras have difficulty due to their keen sense of smell, which is based on up to 250 million olfactory cells.
A symbiosis between humans and dogs
At the trial appointment in Niedereschach, Udo Richter, a resident of the assisted living facility, was allowed to act as a training person for the dog Nala. The moment Nala picked up his scent and quickly found him again illustrates the rescue dogs' impressive talent. The use of these dogs goes beyond just searching: in nursing homes, they also act as visiting dogs, providing residents with social contact and emotional support.
The training of rescue dogs is extensive and takes a lot of time, patience and commitment. To qualify as a rescue dog, the animals must be suitable breeds, show joy in learning and harmonize well with other dogs and people. An aptitude test takes place before training. The dog handlers also have to be physically fit and have team spirit so that the interaction between people and dogs works quickly.
In addition to solid theoretical and practical training that takes up to three years, this voluntary service is financed through donations. In this way, the costly use of equipment and training materials can be covered. The commitment of the rescue dog teams is truly priceless and shapes the image of help and rescue in our region, as the Johanniter prove.