Chief (a Redbone Coonhound/Lab cros) is my first search dog. He was destined for the shelter when I rescued him. We have trained extensively in area search, avalanche, land cadaver and water recovery. He remains active and operational in water cadaver even at 12 years old.
I began training both myself and my canine partner "Chief" in search and rescue work in 1997 when Chief was just a puppy. I spent the first two years working and training with Missoula County Search and Rescue and Clarkfork Bitterroot Search Dogs. In 1999 I moved to Logan, UT and began working and training with Weber County Search and Rescue and American Search Dogs until I moved yet again in 2003, to my present location in Bloomington, IL. I currently work and train with Illinois Search Dogs. Since moving to Illinois, our operational emphasis is on land and water cadaver and first responder disaster cadaver. In 2005 I began to train my second search dog, T-Top's Sula Montana. "Sula" is a purebred Redbone Coonhound and she is now certified in both trailing and land cadaver with the International Police Work Dog Association. She is in training for water cadaver.
Chief working to locate a drowning victim.
Sula trailing in training.
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Sula at 3 months, her first exposure to disaster debris.
