Israel Dog Unit

Israel Dog Unit trains with IDF special forces

The Israel Dog Unit took part in an extended overnight training exercise this week alongside the Israel Defense Forces’ Haruv special forces unit, marking a first-of-its-kind drill for the Haruv unit.

From hilltops to IDF families:

Support Am Yisrael Chai - you may win a new apartment

Shmuel Sackett details Am Yisrael Chai’s nationwide aid projects and growing global support, as the foundation launches its Annual Dream Raffle offering a fully furnished $1.2 million Jerusalem apartment.

Missing teen rescued after intensive search near Elad

A large-scale search for a missing 16-year-old boy came to a successful end on Wednesday evening, after volunteers from the Israel Dog Unit (IDU) located the teen alive following more than 24 hours of intensive operations in the Elad region.

Bipartisan Knesset delegation joins search for vanished girl

More than 21 months after the disappearance of 9-year-old Hymanut Kassou, Israeli search teams and lawmakers gathered on Sunday for a renewed large-scale operation aimed at finding any trace of the missing child and raising public awareness.

Commander of Israel Dog Unit Meets American Jews

Search and Rescue director Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov is touring North America to recruit volunteers and raise urgent funds for the Israel Dog Unit - a lifeline for families in their darkest hour.

Secure your spot

Israel Dog Unit Commander to speak at NYC benefit dinner

Yekutiel Ben-Yakov will share firsthand accounts of search-and-rescue missions and counter-terror operations at the first-ever New York dinner for American Friends of the Israel Dog Unit this Sunday, November 9th at 7:00 PM.

Two missing persons located in one day

Both victims were found alive and well after extensive searches with hundreds of volunteers over several days.

North And South:

Two large-scale searches for missing persons underway

The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit organization specializing in working dogs, has been conducting two simultaneous large-scale search operations this week for missing individuals in different parts of the country.

Israel Dog Unit holds special exhibition for Samaria school

At the request of the Ariel Police Station, the Israel Dog Unit (IDU) conducted a special demonstration on Tuesday for hundreds of students at the Milkin School in the city of Ariel.

Israel Dog Unit holds special needs exhbition ahead of Yom Kippur

On Tuesday, the Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in working dogs, organized a heartfelt event for children with special needs in advance of Yom Kippur.

Emergency services salute son of fallen officer

Samaria emergency services held a special tribute this week for Naveh Winklestein, the son of police officer Elad, who was murdered in a shooting attack.

IDU encourages officers after deadly shooting attack

In the shadow of tragic shooting attack on Monday, a poignant and powerful meeting took place at the Samaria Brigade headquarters near Shechem.

Israel Dog Unit trains rescue dogs and handlers to save lives

A special workshop on Friday introduced dog handlers to a series of fundamentals for the use of working dogs in several applications.

Israel Dog Unit holds demonstration for immigrants in Tzfat

At the request of the Israel Police, the Israel Dog Unit (IDU)—a nonprofit organization specializing in working dogs - held a special demonstration at an absorption center in Tzfat for immigrants from the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Israel Dog Unit brings joy on saddest day of the year

The IDU’s dog handlers hosted a special demonstration for children from the BeLev Echad organization during Tisha B'Av.

Multi-force missile strike exercise in Acre

The exercise was led by the Home Front Command and Israel Police, with the participation of all local emergency and rescue services.

Hilltop youth coordinator pays special visit to Israel Dog Unit

A special meeting was recently held at the Israel Dog Unit (IDU) headquarters in Kfar Tapuach with Avichai Tanami, the special coordinator for addressing the issue of hilltop youth in Judea and Samaria.

Israel Dog Unit holds special needs exhibition in Kiryat Malachi

Held at Ben Gurion Park in Kiryat Malachi, the event featured a live dog show where trained handlers showcased the impressive skills and capabilities of their service dogs.

Searchers hunt through caves to find missing persons near Tzfat

The renewed operation was sparked by new testimony regarding the possible whereabouts of David Fadida, who disappeared near Tzfat on October 15, 2024, at the age of 28.

Bnei Akiva joins search for man vanished near Beit Shemesh

Dozens of volunteers from the Shiloh region, along with coordinators from the Bnei Akiva youth movement’s Jerusalem district, took part in the search for Yoram Filter.

Friday night rescue in Jerusalem

The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit organization specializing in working dogs for search and rescue, successfully located a missing woman at risk after an all-night search operation last Friday night in Jerusalem.

Knesset advances historic bill to support families of the missing

The Knesset this week approved in its first reading a groundbreaking bill aimed at providing formal recognition and support for families of missing civilians in Israel.

Israel Dog Unit joins search operations in Be'er Sheva

The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in working dogs, joined the rescue efforts in the aftermath of the last Iranian missile strike in Be'er Sheva before the ceasefire, in which several Israelis were killed.

Rescue dogs search for victims at Iranian missile strike scene

The Israel Dog Unit is working with other emergency services to detect any Israelis trapped under the rubble from the Iranian missile strikes in central Israel.

After Successful Search:

Rescue unit urges support for families of missing persons

The Israel Dog Unit called for government support of the families of missing persons after hundreds rushed to find an Israeli teen missing in the Binyamin region.

In Samaria:

IDF and police fulfill dream for child with special needs

In heartwarming event, dozens of female IDF lookouts, along with officers from the Israel Police's Ariel station and canine handlers from IDU, fulfill the dream of a child with special needs from Samaria.

Five missing people rescued in two days

The Israel Dog Unit worked through Shabbat and into Jerusalem Day to close three missing-person cases with a total of five victims.

Israel Dog Unit launches life-saving tracking training course

The Israel Dog Unit has begun training volunteers to track missing persons under the instruction of champion trainer Nati Gibli and elite trainer Noam Eitan, a founder of the Shaldag unit.

Israel Dog Unit honors fallen soldier at Gush Etzion exhibition

The tribute consisted of an exhibition dedicated to the special needs community in the town of Gevaot in the Gush Etzion region.

Days Before Lag B'Omer:

Missing person cases spike in Meron region

As throngs of pilgrims ascend to Meron for Lag B'Omer, the Israel Dog Unit has been rushing to locate missing persons in the woods around the city.

600 Days Missing:

Massive search launched for Jewish man vanished near Arab town

Searchers used drones, dogs, and advanced tools in the largest effort yet to solve the disappearance of Itamar Shelzinger, vanished in September 2023.

Israel Dog Unit fights fires on Memorial, Independence Day

Multiple fires in Samaria interrupted both the solemn remembrance of Israel's fallen and the celebration of Independence Day.

Missing woman rescued on Memorial Day

During Memorial Day, the Israel Dog Unit located a 70-year-old woman who had been gone from her home for more than 40 hours.

Happy ending in Holon

A three-day-long search for a missing woman ended with her being found alive and well over Shabbat.

Israel Dog Unit trains rescue dogs and handlers to save lives

A special workshop on Friday introduced dog handlers to a series of fundamentals for the use of working dogs in several applications.

Five Days Straight:

Air Force cadets conclude exercise deep in the desert

The IAF has recently concluded a multi-force exercise deep in the deserts of southern Israel, simulating air crews practicing escape and evasion from multiple different forces in enemy territory.

Three Years Later:

Moishe Kleinerman's family refuses to give up

The family reports that the police have recently stopped all contact, but their son is still missing.

Strategic new hilltop developed in Samaria

A group of Israelis has begun work to develop a hilltop homestead overlooking the historically hostile Palestinian Arab city of Huwara.

Purim dog exhibition for disabled individuals in Kfar Perach

Residents of the Kfar Perach center for individuals with learning disabilities were treated to an entertaining dog show before Purim.

Inter-organizational think tank convenes to crack toughest cases

A group of Israel's emergency response organizations meets in Samaria to study unsolved disappearances over the last two years in Israel.

Special search held for girl missing from Tzfat

MKs from both the coalition and opposition supported increased efforts to find Hymanut Kassou, with some alleging she had been abducted.

Israel Dog Unit holds exhibition for war widows and orphans

The Israel Dog Unit displayed the various capabilities of their working dogs for a group of widows and orphans from the Swords of Iron war at an event organized by the 'Victory Together' organization.

Samaria Brigade commander visits Israel Dog Unit

The visit included a group of senior IDF officers and ended with an agreement of mutual cooperation in emergency response in the area.

Good Ending:

Missing American student found

Avishai Teitelbaum, reported missing earlier in the week, was located alive in Jerusalem.

Search for missing man in Jerusalem region

A 24-year-old man has been missing for several days in the Jerusalem region and is considered to be in danger.

Working dogs train to find terrorists under rubble

The Israel Dog Unit held an exercise today simulating finding victims or attackers trapped under the rubble of a building collapsed by rocket fire or terrorist attack.

Searchers racing to find man vanished near Netanya

Denis Kotikov has now been missing for three days in the Netanya region. Searchers are rushing to find him despite rough terrain and winter weather.

Tzfat honors emergency volunteers

A special dinner was held by the city this week to recognize all the volunteer emergency responders for their efforts throughout the war.

Golani Brigade holds special exercise with Israel Dog Unit

The exercise simulated maneuvers deep in enemy territory, movement through rough terrain, casualty evacuation, and the use of Air Force helicopters.

Working dog exhibition for Kiryat Malachi school

The Israel Dog Unit gave an exhibition on Monday to the Beit Tsipora school in Kiryat Malachi.

US C-SOG in Israel:

Israel Dog Unit trains with US prison intervention expert

The Israel Dog Unit this week hosted a special seminar by Joseph Garcia, among the world's foremost experts in prison intervention.

After four days:

Israel Dog Unit finds body of man missing from Ofakim

Boris Shuster, 68, vanished while out for a walk last week. On Monday, his body was discovered near Ofakim.

Without a Trace:

Ofakim man vanished, search entering its third day

Boris Shuster, a retired engineer, went out for his usual walk on Thursday, but his cell phone went dead and he has been missing ever since. A massive search effort is underway to find him.

Working dog exhibition for Kiryat Malachi school

The Israel Dog Unit gave an exhibition on Monday to the Beit Tsipora school in Kiryat Malachi.

Search for missing man reignited near Beit Shemesh

A special search day was held this week for the missing Yoram Fliter after the discovery of some of his personal effects in a national park.

One Year Later:

Breakthrough in disappearance near Beit Shemesh

On the anniversary of his disappearance, Yoram Fliter's brother found his prepaid bus card in a densely wooded area near Beit Shemesh.

Man murdered near Kiryat Malachi, family member arrested

A Kiryat Malachi man was found dead outside the city with signs of violence on his body. A family member of the victim was arrested for his murder.

IDU holds special exercise with Air Force

The exercise took place over 115 hours deep in the deserts of southern Israel and included dozens of volunteers.

Israeli dog handlers to protect Jews in Europe

A special project will be launched to bring the dogs and volunteers of the Israel Dog Unit to Jewish communities abroad in the wake of the Amsterdam pogrom.

Finding missing people - wherever they are

The Israel Dog Unit held an exercise simulating finding victims in extreme circumstances such as under rubble, in trees, and on a roof.