On 17 May 2026, the police and the family deployed IRO member organisation Kyon Osfrisis in Greece to assist in a search operation for a missing person. The search focused on a 78-year-old man with dementia who had been missing for eleven days.

The search area, which included both forested areas and open terrain, was located in Servia, in the Kozani region of northern Greece. The operation took place during the day in conditions with temperatures reaching 26°C and humidity levels of 70%.

Two highly specialised teams were deployed: Savannah, a search and rescue dog with her handler, Elvira; and Etna, a human remains detection dog with his handler, Kostas.

This operation emphasised the importance of close collaboration between different search disciplines. Search and rescue dogs are trained to locate missing persons and thereby help save lives. Human remains detection dogs are primarily deployed when missing person searches continue over an extended period.

During the three-hour operation, Etna located the missing individual, who was sadly confirmed to be deceased.

The mission of the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation (IRO) is to save lives. Professional cooperation between search and rescue teams and human remains detection teams is also essential for comprehensive and responsible search operations. This helps to ensure that prolonged searches for missing persons can continue professionally, and that families are not left without answers.

For this reason, the IRO works closely with Human Remains Detection Dog INTERNATIONAL (HRDD International).

Every deployment involves highly trained volunteers and dedicated dogs, as well as countless hours of intensive preparation, all united in the service of humanity.