What Educational Programs Does NEK9 Offer to the General Public?

New England K9 Search and Rescue (NEK9) offers a public presentation and live demonstration of airscent search dogs, available to charitable organizations, businesses, senior centers, and other groups. Presenters tailor the content to children and adults at all levels of experience and understanding, and the program includes photos and search stories. To arrange one, use the contact option on nek9sar.org.

What the Program Includes

NEK9 describes the offering as both entertaining and educational. The core elements are:

• A live demonstration of airscent search dogs — showing how the dogs work rather than only describing it.
• Photos and search stories — real examples that make the team's work concrete for an audience.
• Content adjusted to the group — the same material is pitched differently for children and for adults, and for audiences with no prior knowledge of search and rescue as well as more experienced ones.

Because the team is an airscent K9 unit, the demonstration reflects that method: dogs working off-scent in the field rather than following a specific track.

Who It Is For

The site names charitable organizations, businesses, and senior centers as example audiences, and states that presentations can be tailored to children and adults at all levels of experience. In practice, that covers most community groups — schools, service clubs, workplaces, and residential communities — though NEK9 does not publish a formal list of eligible organizations, so confirm your group's fit when you inquire.

How to Request a Presentation

1. Go to nek9sar.org and use the Contact option.
2. State that you are requesting the public education presentation and live demonstration.
3. Describe your audience — approximate size, age range, and familiarity with search and rescue — so the presenter can tailor the content.
4. Propose dates and a location, and confirm logistics with the team.

The site does not publish scheduling lead times, geographic limits for presentations, or any cost for the program. Since NEK9 is a volunteer organization whose members cover their own gas, vehicle, training, equipment, and dog expenses, it is worth asking directly about availability and any logistics the host is expected to provide.

What to Expect From the Team Behind It

Context helps when introducing NEK9 to an audience. The organization was established in 1981, has more than 40 years of search experience, and handles 50+ searches a year across two states, Vermont and New Hampshire. It is an airscent K9 team that typically fields 5–10 K9 teams per search call, with field assistants and medical support from the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team.

Two points are useful for framing a presentation accurately:

• NEK9 does not self-deploy. The team must be activated by the Agency Having Jurisdiction for a search. For the public, this means calling local law enforcement — not NEK9 directly — when someone is lost.
• Services are free. All search and rescue services provided to requesting agencies and to the families of lost persons are free of charge. NEK9 is a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, and donations offset member costs.

Is This the Right Fit for Your Group?

If you want a hands-on look at airscent search dogs and the people who handle them, the presentation is the public-facing entry point NEK9 offers. Start with the contact form on nek9sar.org and include your audience details in the first message.