Shane McGuinness is from Killybegs, Co. Donegal.

He recently contact us regarding training his labrador.My name is Shane Mc Guinness; I am what you would call a recent addition to SARDA. I first attended a SARDA Training Weekend in October 2003 in Wicklow.

I am from Killybegs, Co Donegal. I am a member of the Killybegs Coast Guards. Prior to joining SARDA Ireland I was training independently with my dog Jess but reached a stage where I needed to know more! Then at a Coast Guard callout in Sleigh League, I met Martin Bonner and his Dog Carn with the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team.

It was Martin who introduced me to SARDA Ireland. Jess or Jessie as we sometimes call her is a 2 and half years old golden Labrador. She is very bright and easy to train. She loves exercise and could run and swim all day.

Its great to be part of SARDA Ireland, as collectively the team offers years of experience, great help and guidance to Jess and I. Hopefully we can absorb all the great advice and become an asset to SARDA Ireland.

Many thanks to Martin Bonner for his ongoing help and also to my future brother in law Owen who plays a big part in training Jess (as the dog’s body). Last but not least I would like to thank my fiancée Tracy for her patience and understanding.