Meet Maali And Ginny: The Isle Of Wight’s Newest Search Dogs In Training

Two new canine recruits are gearing up to join WightSAR, helping find missing people across the Isle of Wight.

Maali, a sprocker spaniel, and Ginny, a Labrador, are both training towards their final assessment with the support of Wightlink, who are sponsoring their mainland training sessions.

Once qualified, they will become operational search dogs, assisting in high-risk searches across the Island.

Maali is an air-scenting dog, able to detect human scent from up to 500 metres away, covering areas that might take 20 human searchers to comb.

She’s particularly effective in woodland and other open terrain. Ginny, meanwhile, is a trailing dog, trained to follow the unique scent of a missing person from their last known location, ignoring other distractions along the way.

Their handlers, Jasmine Light and Catherine Fitton, are working closely with the dogs to integrate them into the WightSAR team and ensure seamless coordination during live incidents.

Training is rigorous and can take two to three years, guided by the National Search and Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA).

The programme includes intensive training weekends on the mainland, alongside other dog teams, as well as sessions on the Island, sometimes with local Police Search Advisors.

Next month, Maali, Ginny, and their handlers will attend a national training weekend in North Wales, putting their skills to the test in complex scenarios.

WightSAR chairman Dean Terrett BEM said:

“This vital search dog training project, reliant on mainland travel and specialised expertise, would not have been possible without Wightlink’s generous and ongoing support.

"Their sponsorship has been instrumental in developing our search dog team — and that will ultimately save lives.”

Wightlink partnerships marketing manager Sam Woodman added:

“We recognise what vital work WightSAR does, often bringing happy conclusions to stressful situations, so we’re very happy to support their training programme.

"It’s fantastic to see Maali and Ginny doing so well.”

With their final assessment on the horizon, Maali and Ginny are set to become key members of the Island’s search and rescue operations, helping keep the community safe.