SRRSZ
Rettungsriesenschnauzer
The search and rescue chapter of Pia Fidelis Schnauzer & Pinscher Club 2020
Establishing canine-assisted search, rescue, and high-angle preparedness in Transylvania.
Arising from our (Patricia and Tibor) passion of working with Viggo and Luke, the original desire was to attend and participate in international IGP, formerly IPO, events, although our trainings were mainly focusing on SAR. The obvious, first step was to found an NGO focusing on schnauzers as a breed, their genetic well-being, health, grooming and not the least social, sports and utilitarian activities. The NGO achieved legal entity in 2020 under the name Pia Fidelis Schnauzer & Pinscher Club 2020, both Pati and Tibi are founding members.
Ultimately, on a more personal note, we had to acknowledge that our giants enjoy the far more olfactory engaging SAR work. In 2021 we has stepped up our activities in this field and as a result Siebenbürgische Rettungsriesenschauzer, the search and rescue chapter of the SPC2020, was born. We have attended several seminars, webinars, participate in and organised joint trainings with other teams at home and abroad.
In 2025, eleven members formed the PAD Rescue Team, the urban rescue training group of our SRRSZ working chapter. Members of our URTG are professional first-responders and paramedics, who in their spare time are homing their skills in urban rappel and extrication rescue. Beyond dog sports, we support sustainable disaster response infrastructures, promoting a pro-active attitude, dialogue, and collaborative mindsets.
Although called "RettungsRiesenschnauzer", all humans with SAR interests and their dogs are welcomed in the group. The name represents a homage to the first SAR giants from Transylvania, Luke and Viggo, and the ambition they inspired to keep on training and lay the foundations of this society.
Siebenbürgische Rettungsriesenschnauzer is a specialised SAR dog organisation dedicated to advancing the effectiveness, preparedness, and scientific understanding of canine-assisted rescue operations. The mission of the organisation is to foster international collaboration, promote best practices in SAR dog training and deployment, and contribute to the resilience and sustainability of communities through innovative research and practical interventions.
We specialize in rubble, structural collapses, transport accidents, and open area searches:
The handlers, utility search dogs, and rappelling rescue specialists of SRRSZ.
Conner Castle Kehr Fully Maid (Cão da Serra de Aires) represents the second generation of search dogs, joining the ranks in 2026.
"Maya" Captured Cuteness Kehr Fully Maid, a Portuguese Shepherd, trains actively under Diana's guidance in Transylvania.
"Mike" Spicy Beards Argento Vivo (Miniature Schnauzer) trains in rubble scent detection with Victor.
"Kinya" Firesilver American Queen (Miniature Schnauzer) joined in 2025, specializing in agility and scent work with Ralu.
Xanto Hanno Veto is a pure black Giant Schnauzer, representing the second generation of rescue giants. BH, RH-T, and RH-FL certified.
Loki (Pepper and Salt Giant Schnauzer) trains in rubble and area search with Gina and Răzvan.
Electra Vehuiah (Black Giant Schnauzer) joined in 2022. Iulia is the group's veterinarian and parasitologist.
"Viggo" Alaska von Riesenbart. Co-founding rescue giant of Transylvania. RH-FL A and RH-T A certified.
"Luke" Moonwalker vom Eifelparadies. Co-founding search giant of SRRSZ. Multiple IPO-R trial titles with Tibor.
Professional firefighter, paramedic and First Aid Leader of the Deva Rappelling Firefighters Rescue Team.
Professional firefighter and Rappel Rescue Leader, specializing in complex high-angle vertical rigging systems.
Coordinator of the URTG, organizing national and international abseil training trials and exercises.
Search and Rescue Leader, integrating canine deployments with professional rope rescue personnel.
Where our handlers, search dogs, and rope rescue operators hone their skills.
A former open-pit quarry spanning two terraces, offering 100m height differences, concrete ruins, and dense vegetation search areas.
Limestone quarry spanning 20 hectares with 250m long anthropic galleries, serving as a dual USAR and cave scent training site.
Spanning 3.4 hectares in the center of Romania. Hosts eleven structures, complex manholes, and dedicated rappel training towers.
The backbone of SRRSZ training operations, handling equipment, communication systems, animal welfare, and emergency supplies.
Unifying cultural heritage conservation, medical preparedness, and scientific analysis with search and rescue operations.
Conducting non-destructive SAR dog training in the historic late 18th-century residence of Baron Franz Nopcsa in Hunedoara.
Joint exercises at the provincial Roman settlement and fort of Micia, in partnership with the National Museum of Romanian History.
SAR dog training exercises inside the Byzantine-style wooden colonnade park bathhouse in Buziaș, Timiș.
International joint training camp held in November 2026 at the DEMA Training Center in Tinglev, Denmark, hosting 16 European nations.
Abseil and canine operations set at the Bayersdorf training ground and the Mureș River, with ISU Hunedoara and GSS Mountain Rescue.
Certified emergency seminars covering STOP THE BLEED®, understanding responder PTSD, canine first aid, and INSARAG frameworks.
Our seasonal blood donation drives held in Romania, leveraging our community networks to support regional clinics.
Applying health informatics, environmental telemetry, and salivary cortisol analysis to model search dog efficiency in disaster sites.
The innovative synergy of private and public stakeholders in a cross-European effort holds the promise of a meaningful contribution. This impact reaches beyond the science of resilience to natural or man-made disasters.
The scientific knowledge of building earthquake-resistant structures, of stress and olfactory perception in dogs, and sorption of odours is entangled in a science-to-practice transfer in the present project. The main goal is to maximise societal resilience after force majeure events by significantly increasing the preparedness of first responders, especially of SAR dog units.
Our core question: how can we meaningfully improve the quality of SAR dog searches? To reach this goal, the project proposes the development of a next-generation rubble training site and the research of olfactory capacities and emotional states of SAR dogs during these searches.
Official guidelines for obedience, dexterity, and search efficacy, conforming to international standards.
Overview of trial sequences and hurdles standard in the 2021-2025 and 2025-2029 regulations frameworks:
Detailed regulatory documents can be obtained directly or reviewed in our documentation vault during webinars and training campaigns.
"obedience & dexterity (section B) sketches from the official SAR regulations. Testing includes tunnel crawling, directability, and distraction downs under heavy background noise."
Reviewing our international publications on canine training, health, and rescue standards.
The Revista S&P is our scientific and informative publication channel, cataloging our research under ISSN 2971-981X. We publish seasonal case studies, medical guidelines for utility dogs, scent dissipation analyses, and reports from the SRRSZ Synergy Initiative.
Latest Volumes featured:
Our collaborative international network of rescue organizations, municipalities, and professional institutions.
