Sava Zibler is a dedicated search and rescue dog handler and an inspiring example of how to balance family, career and voluntary work. She spoke to us about how much working with dogs means to her and how she manages the balancing act.

How long have you been doing search and rescue dog work and how did you get started?

I have been in Search & Rescue work for almost 16 years. The inspiration came from my father. In 1980, he brought home a female Labrador. Her name was Ara and she had a shiny black coat. He started training her as a search and rescue dog under the guidance of Frenk Kogovšek, one of the pioneers in the field of search and rescue dog work in Slovenia. It was through Ara that I discovered my love for black Labradors. But my life initially took a different path with family, children and sport. But I knew that one day I would have my own dog. Then, 16 years ago, the moment came when I was able to fulfil my dream with Furja. "It takes a whole village to raise a child," is an African proverb. This is a way of saying that without the support of my family, this step would have been unthinkable. As I knew right from the start that I wanted to work actively with my dog, I started search and rescue dog training with Frenk. The rest is history: I found my mission and really good friends.

What was your motivation to get involved in a volunteer search and rescue dog unit?

When I started training with Furja, I also gained an insight into the work of volunteers within the Slovenian Civil Protection and how I can help or contribute. It wasn't a conscious decision, but it grew in me day by day and I realised that volunteering really fulfils me.

Saving the life of just one person already makes our efforts worthwhile.

How can you balance regular training and deployments with work and family?

It wasn't always easy, especially with my job, where I usually work ten hours a day. But I have always had the full support of my family. And if you have a goal and are really well organised, you can achieve anything.

What was a particularly memorable deployment for you?

I'll never forget the mission where we found the missing person alive after almost 24 hours. It was an 80-year-old woman who had fallen and could not get up on her own. The brave lady stayed on the open in the woods for a day and a night until help arrived. The fortunate outcome of the search operation was a team effort by the rescuers, the local people and the family. Their perceptions and instincts were instrumental in planning the search strategy of our search dog teams.