Among the tags painted by Urban Search and Rescue on buildings, piles of rubble and motor vehicles after the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 was the label, ‘cleared by dogs’.

Dogs and their handlers responded immediately and searched the city for survivors after both earthquakes. Christchurch was fortunate that many of the dogs trained in search and rescue lived in the city at the time. After the deadly February 2011 earthquake, Christchurch handlers Brenda Woolley and her dogs Boss, Keepa and Easy, Tim Drennan with his dog Boo, Linda Pike and her dogs Buk and Que, and Janelle Mackie with Cairo, were joined by other handlers from around the country.  

Urban Search and Rescue’s lead dog trainer, Brenda Woolley, worked closely with dogs for many years. She often spotted a promising dog in the pound, given away by families unable to cope with their high energy levels – a desirable quality during search and rescue operations. Brenda Woolley received a Queen’s Service Medal for her work after the earthquakes.