The International Rescue-dog organisation (IRO) was founded in 1993 functioning as a worldwide umbrella organisation of all national rescue-dog organisations. Its aim is to save human lives and health by the assignment of best trained rescue-dogs

The IRO is a registered, non-profit organisation with an international executive-board. The head office of the IRO is located in Salzburg (Austria). Members of the IRO are national rescue-dog organisations of which there are 87 organisations in 35 countries of the world at the time being. 

The International Rescue-dog organisation finances its activities through membership-fees of its member organisations as well as sponsorship-money from supporting members. The money is the basis for the many tasks of the IRO, such as sending judges and trainers to international events, sending rescue-dog handlers into mission in case of international disaster as well as administrative work. On the other hand, the national organisations are supported in funding for equipment as well as in training of mission-ready dogs.

International Cooperation – UNO, OCHA, INSARAG, Kynologenverband/FCI
With an ever tighter cooperation between the disaster-management organisation of the UN – the OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), and the INSARAG (International Search & Rescue Advisory Group) as well as the international umbrella organisation of dog being, the FCI (Federation Cynologique International), the IRO intends to constantly improve successful rescue-dog missions.  The cooperation with INSARAG – the UN-contact in case of international disaster mission – is hence very important for the IRO to be implemented in missions directly and therefore being able to react very quickly.  With the FCI, the IRO has signed an agreement in January 2006 for worldwide valid testing rules and regulations.