K9 Trackers Perth helping bring comfort and support to families of missing persons

TWO women and their dogs are bringing comfort and support to families of missing persons, with a new people tracking service.

K9 Trackers Perth, which officially started six weeks ago, is a free service for those desperately searching for a missing family member or friend.

Founders Lesley Watson and Sonya Bowditch have a combined 35 years of experience in search and rescue and canine tracking.

The duo started the service as a way to support police and rescue services, with family members able to call the service direct.

Ms Watson said police should always be the first call made in a missing person’s case, but K9 Trackers could help support them.

She said they started the service as a way to help find missing people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, who were often physically fit and had wandered off.

“We wanted to start a service, where we could connect with families and be a support and comfort to them, as well as searching for their loved ones,” she said.

“People need to call the police first, but then call us out within one or two hours, so we have a greater chance of finding them early.”

K9 Trackers Perth covers all over Perth, with their dogs able to differentiate between people who are alive and deceased, and able to track on land and in the water.

Ms Watson said the service had already been involved in searches, including an ongoing search for an elderly man in Gingin.

She said the service was completely free.

“This is our way of contributing to the community and helping other people in times of need,” she said.

“We are willing to go anywhere we can to help search for people, but we need to get the message out there that we are available and for people to call us as soon as they can, when someone goes missing.”

For more information on K9 Trackers Perth visit their Facebook page or contact them on 0488 066 644.