Alpha Team K9 Search & Rescue

10/17/2026

When the harness goes on, it’s time to get to work. 🐾

Noctis is one of our trailing K9s, trained to follow human scent and work alongside his handler to help locate missing people.

All that focus, drive, and that nose doing what it does best. 👃🐕

Good boy, Noctis. Now go find somebody! 🐾

10/17/2026

We appreciate the opportunity to assist the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office in this search. Our thoughts are with the family, and we hope our efforts bring them some measure of closure.

INVESTIGATION INTO DISCOVERY OF SKELETAL REMAINS

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Pickens Sheriff’s Office detectives responded after a hunter discovered partial skeletal remains in a wooded area off Highway 515 near Piedmont Mountainside Hospital. Detectives processed the scene and began a search to recover the remaining skeletal remains.

Today, Saturday, October 17, detectives, assisted by Alpha Team K9 Search & Rescue, continued that recovery effort and located additional skeletal remains associated with the original discovery. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been requested to assist with processing the scene.

The individual’s identity remains unknown. Additional forensic testing will be conducted to help establish the individual’s identity and, if possible, determine the cause of death.

Please refrain from speculation and sharing unverified information out of respect for the deceased and those who may be affected. Forensic testing will take time, and we appreciate your patience while this work continues.

We will share additional confirmed information as it becomes available and is appropriate for release.

10/15/2026

Training doesn’t stop when the classroom does.

For SAR teams, continuing to learn, practice, and bring new skills back to the team is part of staying prepared. Every new technique or piece of knowledge is another tool that can potentially be put to work when someone needs help.

And sometimes the best investment we can make in our team is simply giving our volunteers opportunities to keep learning.

ATSAR Academy | Learn. Train. Respond.

10/14/2026

Happy Birthday to our girl Sage! 🎉🐾

Another year older, another year of being cute, getting muddy, putting that nose to work, and keeping everyone on their toes. 😂

We hope your birthday is filled with all the good stuff: treats, toys, scratches, adventures, and maybe just a little bit of trouble. 😉

Happy Birthday, Sage! We’re lucky to have you on the team. ❤️🐾

10/12/2026

Some people follow maps.

Ember follows a nose. 🐾👃

She’s in training for trailing, learning to read the information left behind by a person and turn a scent trail into a path forward.

Basically, she has her own GPS. It just happens to be attached to her face. 😂

10/10/2026

You’ve met our K9s. You’ve met our handlers. You’ve met Field Support.

Now meet P.E.G.A.S.U.S. 🚁

Precise Electronic Guided Aerial Surveillance Unmanned System… because apparently “really awesome search drone” wasn’t official enough. 😂

With thermal imaging and AI-assisted subject tracking, P.E.G.A.S.U.S. gives our team another set of eyes from above when searching for missing persons.

Different view. Same mission. 🐾🚁

10/08/2026

There’s a lot more going on inside that adorable nose than most of us will ever understand. 🐾

Our K9s are trained to use their incredible sense of smell for very specific search tasks, but their success depends on much more than their noses. Training, environmental conditions, handler decisions, and teamwork all play a role.

Basically… never underestimate the snoot. 🐶

ATSAR Academy | Learn. Train. Respond.

10/05/2026

Trying to photograph a Search & Rescue K9 in action:

📸 “Okay Cabo, come this way!”

Cabo: I HAVE A MISSION. 🐕💨

Camera: “Best I can do is a blur.” 😂

Apparently, when you’re this fast, the camera just has to trust us that you’re in the picture.

10/03/2026

Buc-ee may be certified in Human Remains Detection, but today’s mission is a little less serious. 🎈🐾

The assignment: DO NOT LET THE BALLOON HIT THE GROUND.

Buc-ee: “Understood. I was born for this.” 😂

From searching for human scent to chasing balloons at a party, this boy takes his job seriously. Good work, Buc-ee! 🎈🐕‍🦺

10/01/2026

When a search gets underway, there’s no single tool that does it all.

Our teams combine people, K9s, technology, mapping, communications, and good old-fashioned field work to build the bigger picture and help bring someone home.

That combination of skills is what makes Search & Rescue a team effort.

ATSAR Academy | Learn. Train. Respond.