Search and Rescue K9 Journal

Search and Rescue K9 Journal is a complete training log built specifically for Search and Rescue K9 handlers working trailing and human remains detection (HRD) disciplines. It is offered free of charge as a contribution to the SAR community — no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no advertising, no analytics, no third-party data sharing. Whether you're documenting a quick maintenance session in the local park or a full evaluation with an external evaluator, this app captures what matters — conditions, dog and handler performance, the trail or search coverage, photos, and the narrative you'd otherwise scribble in the truck after the session. BUILT FOR BOTH DISCIPLINES Switch between trailing and human remains detection sessions with a single tap. The app reshapes itself for each: flankers (up to two per session) and track setup for trailing; per-hide records, search coverage, and biohazard tracking for HRD. RECORD YOUR ROUTE OR COVERAGE Optional GPS track recording captures the path you and the dog actually traveled, sampling every 7 meters of movement. For trailing, it documents commitment to the track. For HRD, it lets you verify 100% coverage of the search area. The track appears as a live polyline on the map during the session, and as a static map image in the printed report. THREE MAP STYLES — STANDARD, SATELLITE, AND USGS TOPO Switch between Apple's standard road map, satellite imagery, and USGS topographic tiles with one tap. Topo is the go-to for wilderness searches with contour lines and shaded relief. Satellite reveals cover and structures. Standard is best for urban work. Your choice persists across sessions, and the PDF report also lets you pick the map style for the embedded route image. EXPAND TO FULLSCREEN Tap the expand button on any map to fill the entire screen. Useful for orientation during active recording — track recording keeps going while you study the landscape. CALTOPO INTEGRATION One tap opens the current session's location in CalTopo (in the CalTopo iOS app if installed, or in the CalTopo web viewer otherwise). The SAR K9 Journal app keeps running in the background — your track recording continues uninterrupted while you study slope angle, fire history, or other CalTopo layers. FAST IN THE FIELD, REFLECTIVE IN DEBRIEF The New Session flow separates "during-session" capture from after-session reflection. Drop-down fields with custom-override options keep data consistent without limiting what you can record. Add photos to any session in batches — up to 20 at a time from your library, or take photos directly with the camera. PROFESSIONAL PDF REPORTS Every session generates a clean, multi-page PDF with the embedded map (in your chosen style), photo grid, and complete session data. Sections are paginated cleanly at boundaries — no section is split across pages. Empty fields are skipped so the report shows only what you actually recorded. Print to your three-ring binder or share with a trainer, evaluator, or coordinator via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, or Save to Files. SIGNED RECORDS WITH AUDIT TRAIL Sign off each session when you're done. Edits made after sign-off are tracked in a revision history with timestamp and handler name. Weather entries have additional protection — they stay locked even in edit mode unless you explicitly tap to override, preserving the conditions actually observed at session start.KEY FEATURES AT A GLANCE