Search dog Millie concludes decade of service

A search dog, who has contributed to nearly 150 operations over a period of 10 years, has been retired. Eleven-year-old Millie was a puppy when she began living with handler Darren Yeates and his family in 2013. Mr. Yeates stated that she was “a natural” during her training and that they developed an “incredibly strong relationship… something only a working dog handler can appreciate.” Millie has provided assistance with lowland searches for police forces including Wiltshire, Sussex, Dorset, Surrey, and Kent. Describing their connection, Mr. Yeates, who resides in Worthing, remarked: “I can tell what she wants and she can tell where I want her to go. “If you watched us search you may be surprised how little I say.” This work is voluntary, which Mr. Yeates carries out in addition to his regular employment. He explained that lowland rescue frequently involves locating individuals who are unaware they are lost, such as those with dementia, or persons who do not wish to be found. “To put it bluntly we can be looking for people who have died,” he said. He added that in such instances, their ability to sometimes help bring closure to family members is very important. They were recently summoned to support a large multi-team search in Wiltshire, an experience he described as “humbling.” Mr. Yeates commented, “You’re only a small part but you’re an important part,” and further stated, “In the days of tech and drones, one dog is equal to 20 foot searchers… when you’ve got thick woodland, drones are no good and a dog is the best asset we’ve got.” Millie will spend her retirement living with the family, although Mr. Yeates mentioned it will be challenging when he conducts searches without her. He recounted, “We can get called out any time of the day or night and she hears the callout alarm as much as I do.“Usually I’d hear it and turn over in bed and there is a pair of eyes looking at me asking ‘Are we going?’” Mr. Yeates’ next endeavor is training Koda, Millie’s successor, who is also a member of their family. He said, “I’m trying to take everything out of Millie’s head and put it into Koda’s, although they are very different dogs,” and expressed immense pride in his work with Millie. He concluded, “She genuinely cares and is very intuitive with a good sense of what you’re thinking and she’s really earned her retirement.” Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.