After a two-day search, Dare, a 7-month-old black and white puppy being trained by Indiana Task Force One as a search-and-rescue dog, was found the morning of April 6, after an extensive effort to find him.

Its believed that the young dog jumped a fence and ran away from his owners home after being frightened by a loud noise, possibly an air gun being used by a neighbor.

Ann McCurdy, the team manager for dogs for Indiana Task Force One, said she discovered Dare hiding in the back of a used car lot after a resident of Indianapolis' south side reported seeing the dog.

After being skittish and fearful when first found, the puppy eventually calmed down, McCurdy said. He leapt into my arms. I was crying, he was crying, it was pretty dramatic, she told the local media.

Dare had been undergoing training practically since birth as a FEMA-certified search-and-rescue dog. The Indianapolis-based team, with its highly trained dogs, has responded to major disasters including Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks in New York.

Dare, who was not injured, is now back with his owner.

Posted: April 7, 2006, 5 a.m. EST