The Johnson County Rescue Squad is expanding its search and rescue team and is asking the community for help.

The non-profit organization is getting search dogs to help in missing person cases, but they need financial help.

Meet Blacky, the newest member of the Johnson County Rescue Squad.

Blacky is a bloodhound undergoing training to find missing people.

“I've assisted with several search and rescues. It would have been so wonderful to have had trained search dogs initially. I feel like it would have saved a lot of time,” Chief Jeff Helton said.

Squad members are expanding the department to help when someone is lost or gone missing.

“Any human that is missing in the woods, we'll find them,” Assistant Chief Thomas Rice said.

“The ultimate goal is to save lives, young, old, it makes no difference. Time is always of the essence,” Chief Helton said.

Helton says the nearest search dogs are hours away and says adding dogs to the Big Sandy Region will make a difference.

Rescue squad members say Blacky will be ready in August and hope to have more dogs then too.

They are planning to have four dogs.

The non-profit department needs several thousands of dollars in donations to buy transportation vehicles for the dogs and dog food.

“The upkeep of these animals, the transportation of these animals, training aids is essential,” K-9 Director John Cruse said.

The goal is to raise the money by April.

If you would like to make a donation for the search dogs, you can contact the Johnson County Rescue Squad at 606-297-5555.