K9 Search and Rescue

People spend a lot of money, time, and tears, searching for their missing pet(s).

This information comes from my 36 years plus of looking for missing persons, and 23 years looking for missing pets. I hope this helps you bring home your loved one.

Forward:

I started in Search and Rescue in 1972 with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Dept. In 1986, I co-founded the search dog team Oregon D.O.G.S. (Dogs Organized for Ground Search and Rescue, for the state of Oregon while I was a team leader for Portland Mountain Rescue. In 1988 I founded the international response team of Mountain Wilderness Search dogs. In 1997 I started the first professional FOR PROFIT K-9 SAR dog team in the world. It’s called International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. We provide professionally trained K-9 SAR Dog Teams and coordinators 24/7 around the world for missing people or lost pets.

In 1999, I founded the search dog teams for the country of Turkey. In 2002, I founded the search dog program for the US Virgin Islands on St Croix USVI.

In 1988, I did my first pet search with my second search dog “Ranger” and we found the missing cat “Dweezil” in less then 20 seconds. (Hiding upstairs under the water bed in the client’s home).

With 12 years of Law Enforcement and 36 years of combined Search and Rescue experience, the information I’m about to pass on to you the reader, are the methods I’ve found useful in finding missing pets. Since 1988, I’ve helped locate over 3,500 lost, stolen, missing pets.

YOUR PET IS MISSING

*Get scared and hide. We often find them hiding in wooded brushy areas, Garages, under decks, inside homes, or RV’s.

*Befriend a small child or other pet owner and follow them home, to their work, or To School.

*Pick up a scent they are interested in, such as the scent of food or the opposite Sex, and investigate it. Yes, even if they are neutered or spayed.

*Fall victim to injury, illness, or death. They may be attacked by a predator. Get Hit by a car, shot by a landowner, or fall into the wrong person’s hands that will Try to keep them, harm them, or sell them.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR PET (Please print this section out and read it daily.

Remember you are very emotional at this time and will experience many emotions associated with your loss. The four stages of loss are anger, denial, guilt, and final acceptance. Understanding that these are common emotions will help you deal with your feelings and take control of your search.

*Keep a daily journal of what has happened in your search efforts, from day # 1.

Where you posted signs, who you called, and what animal control agencies did you visit, when did you visit them, and whom you talked with once you arrived. Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why.

This is important in case we determine your pet has been stolen and catch the suspect(s). Not only can you prosecute them for “Theft of a domesticated Pet” which is a Class C Felony. You can also file CIVIL charges against them in Civil court to recover the cost of your search. The first thing the judge will ask you for is PROOF of your expenses. So document your actions and keep your receipts. Documenting is also a great idea because if for some reason your pet is never found, and you’ve followed each of our steps, you will know you’ve done everything humanly possible to get your loved one back home.

After you read each paragraph, please place your initials on the line at the end of the list, after you’ve completed the task. That way you will proceed in the proper order and won’t miss any instructions.

Remember to: Search your own home area first. Checking any areas of possible hiding spots. We find 15% of the missing pets still on the pet owner’s property, or within ¼ mile of the PLS. Point Last Seen. In garages, doghouses, attics, crawl spaces below the house, apt, sheds, RV’s, behind the washer, dryer, water heater, stove, cabinets, closets, etc. ____.

(NOTE) Cat owners, remember to lift the hood of your vehicle and search under the hood. Cat’s love to warmth of the vehicle engine at night. Also check the nearby trees to see if you cat is stuck in one of them. De-clawed cats can climb. .

1. Immediately start a journal, either hand written, or on your computer. _____.

2. Document your expenses: Cost of newspaper ads, photocopying, telephone calls, time off work, fuel, cost of search dogs, veterinarians, attorney fees, etc. Reason: If you determine that your pet has been stolen and if the suspect(s) is – are later identified, you can then file for damages in a civil court to recover your expenses.

I’m repeating myself but this is so very important. Document your actions and expenses from the beginning of your search. On my computer, I use Microsoft word for the daily journals and Excel for the cost accounting figures.___.

3. Check all animal control agencies within a four county region. North, South, East and West of where your pet was last seen. File a missing pet report. Or, if it’s been determined by a qualified search dog team that your pet has been stolen, file a stolen pet report with the local Humane Society Law Enforcement Division and your local law enforcement agency as well as your local animal control shelters.

Don’t just search within your county. We’ve found over the years, that many folks are well meaning, but also lazy. They may see your pet, feel sorry for it, pick it up to keep it safe. Then turn it in to their local animal control instead of the animal control or shelter nearest where they picked it up. This is often in an entirely different jurisdiction. (They may work or be visiting from out of the area when they pick up your pet). _______.

We had a case in Florida where the pet was lost in Hollywood, FL and found 700 miles north a month later. Upon inspecting the dog, it had been transported by vehicle to this shelter.

Pets are now considered personal property and it’s illegal for another person to take possession of your property (your pet) without following strict Federal, State, and County guidelines. If the person(s) who has recovered your pet hasn’t filed a found report with the authorities within the specified time limit, (usually 48 hours) they may be guilty of theft of private property.____.

4. A. Check the animal control agencies files. NEVER EVER TAKE THE VOLUNTEERS or EMPLOYEES WORD THAT YOUR PET IS NOT AT THEIR FACILITY. Most facilities are understaffed and over crowded. I’ve seen a facility miss a GREAT DANE. I found it in their shelter the first day I went there. This after they told my client, ”they didn’t have a Great Dane in their custody”.

Physically drive to the shelters and animal control agencies and check their kennels. Fax or email all veterinarian offices within your search area. Give them a current photo and your personal information. While at the shelters, check their dead on arrival files-(DOA’s), sick and injured files, quarantine kennels, adoption and destroy files. Also the temporary adoption files. (This is a record where a person who has found a pet can call in and register by email or telephone that they are taking care of the pet). _____.

Most of these facilities are run as a non-profit and therefore their records are open for public inspection. If the shelter refuses to allow you to review their files, get an attorney. Keep checking their files, in person, not over the telephone, every three days. Don’t give up for 8 weeks._____.

4. B.Check your ads on the internet. Craigslist ( www.craiglist.com ) in two sections. Lost and Found and under PETS. You can also post on MYSPACE as well as various other locations on the internet FOR FREE._____.

We’re the most documented professional K-9 SAR Dog tracking team in the world for missing pets or persons. We keep on ongoing computer registered report on lost and found pets around the world.

NOTE: I strongly recommend that you stay away from PET DETECTIVES. These are Private Investigators who claim to have search dogs, unless you check a minimum of three of their references.

Most Pet Detectives that we’ve investigated, after receiving numerous complaints from their previous clients, aren’t trained properly, and lack experience. They may be great private investigators, but lack the other skills needed for this type of work. Most of these folks who state they use search dogs aren’t search dog handlers at all. Nor are their dogs trained and tested in Search and Rescue.

Before you hire anyone, check his or her references. Get a signed contract for services showing up front, what they can and can’t do for your money. Obtain an after action search report. Contact our web site links for reputable Pet Detectives.

The problem we are seeing recently is that there are new PET DETECTIVE and PET SAR Groups popping up all over the USA. One such example is a woman in California.

She travels around giving Pet Detectives and SAR (search and rescue) conferences.

The people attending these conferences get a certificate of completion. Then the attendees feel they are now qualified to charge money for their new found knowledge. After their 50 hours of training or less, they claim to have real search dogs.

Fact is, they’ve received about 50 hours of training or less. Our professional K-9 SAR dog teams get an average of 450 hours of training in K-9 SAR, first aid, basic tracking, report writing, crime scene investigations and other topics related to finding missing persons or pets. And, we’re tested yearly for our certification levels.

Example#1. We received a call from a client who has hired a woman from Oklahoma City, who claims she has two search dogs. She had responded and performed her Pet PI search for the clients lost cat. The PET DETECTIVE charged the client approximately $900.00 to do her search. According to the client, this Pet PI didn’t file a report, or issue a receipt for monies paid, and told the client that, ”she found her cat’s remains in the snow”. (It turned out to be rabbit hair).

We flew out there with a qualified search dog team and determined the client’s cat was picked up near a play ground and is very much alive. This for ½ the fee the PI had charged.

Example#2. We received another complaint in Wyoming. They had flown a Pet search dog PI person from San Diego, Ca. out and wasn’t happy at all with the dog handler’s performance. Again, no after action report was issued, or receipt issued for the service. They had paid this searcher over $3000.00 for her search.

We were able to help the client, just through telephone calls, get their dog located and returned home safely for free. We also assisted the client in filing a complaint against the Pet PI search dog person from San Diego, Ca. with the Better Business Bureau and get their money refunded.

PLEASE check references and the search dog handler’s training and certification (We call is qualification standards), before you hire a PET PI or search dog team.

Example# 3. A client in Southern Ca. tried to get a “Pet Detective Search Dog team from S. Ca. to respond to his lost cat search. She charged him $80.00 dollars just to give the client the same information that we give to our client for free over the phone. She quoted in an outrages price to travel 100 miles to do the search for his lost cat. The client flew us down there to his area, we did the search, and found his cat had been killed by a coyote for 1/3 of the price this PET PI quoted the client.

Example# 4. This client out of LA, Ca. hired a PET DETECTIVE out of Montana. She paid her over $2,500 to come track her lost cat. The Pet detective refused to give her a written report, and her story about where her client’s cat went was proved to be wrong. There for wasting three months of the client’s time and efforts and money. We came down and for ½ the cost determined her cat was stolen by the clients own family member. We have a valid suspect in the case.

Example# 5. This client of Idaho, wanted to hire a Pet Detective who said, it would cost a minimum of $150.00 for her to come out and look. We did the consult for free and that afternoon our client got her dog back safe and alive for FREE.

Example# 6. A client in Ca. hired a PET DETECTIVE who brought in two dog teams. They refused to allow the client to go along with them and claimed their search dogs tracked his dog to an area where it was picked up. They (the pet detectives) breached their own contract by not allowing their client to come along and witness the search that he was paying for.

Example# 7. A client in Canada hired a Pet Detective from Arizona. She brought them up twice at great expense to search for her lost cat. The Pet Detective and her search dog, never found anything. We were asked to come up to BC Canada and do the search. We did it for 1/8^th of the amount of money the Pet Det. Charged and after she had failed twice, it took our search dog 5 minutes to locate where the clients cat had been killed right behind the clients house in the alley.

Example# 8. The same Pet Det. We received numerous complaints on from Oklahoma had charged a woman client from NY $180.00 to profile her missing pet. (This is something we do for all of our clients for free. The client was furious when she found out the Pet Det. Was completely off base, and that we were able to do the same thing over the telephone for FREE.

We have numerous other complaints ref: these pet detectives groups and how they do their searches and how they charge for their services. While we support anyone who is out there trying to make a difference regarding lost pets, we don’t support taking advantage of someone during their time of need.

1). We send our clients a contract that spells out in great detail what we can and can’t do, what

2). Our clients are asked to come along with us to witness our search efforts and ask questions to

4). We issue a report that can be turned over to the court system and or law enforcement.

5). We charge for only what service we provide. The pet detectives ask for a large deposit NOT

If you want a Pet PI, we recommend Melody Pugh. (See our web site for her contact information). If you want a search dog team, then contact our office and we’ll send a trained, tested, professional K-9 SAR Dog team to your location.

Remember to check all of your local animal hospitals, feed stores, vet clinics, animal rescue groups within a 200-mile area. Also post signs at your local feed stores, pet stores such as Petco and Petsmart. Check their lost and found boards. If your pet is a pure bred, check the pure bred rescue groups in your area.

6. Check your ads in the newspaper. Check the lost and found section, pets for sale, and pets being given away for free. These are located in three different sections of the newspapers. Follow up on each ad that possibly refers to your pet. Never go to the house or location alone to check out a pet sighting. Think ahead and BE SAFE. ___.

7. Don’t give up for 8 weeks. After that period of time, you will need to put closure on your search efforts. Get counseling if needed. You and your family have suffered a terrible loss of a family member. I recommend that you sit down away from distractions and write your pet a goodbye letter. Bring a box of Kleenex. Tell them what it meant to have them in your life. How it feels to have them gone. What you did to find them. Then when it’s time, let them go. We’ve had successful recoveries a year after our initial search. But honestly those are very rare cases. ___.

8. If the animal is found alive, get it to a vet clinic immediately. Have it check for Giardia, parasite infections, and dehydration. If it’s not micro-chipped, get it chipped right away. Avid or Home Again offers a great service.____.

(NOTE). Many people who have had their pets micro-chipped fail to contact the Microchip Company. Please as soon as you chip your animal, call the microchip company and register your contact information with them immediately. Also give the company a back up contact # of a family member or friend in case you are unable to be contacted during an emergency. If your pet comes up missing, call the micro chip company right away and register your pet on the company’s “Hot list” or lost list. Make sure they have your current contact information. In the Portland area, we get approximately 3500 pets back each year through microchips.

9. If the animal is found dead, contact your local animal shelter or a private pet service for removal, burial, or cremation of the pet’s remains.

Be aware of scams. One of the most common scams is where someone calls you and gets a description of your pet. They may have seen your ads in the newspaper or on a poster in the area. They will then give this information to a partner. The partner calls you and says,” he has your pet”. He or she will give you an accurate description of your pet and describing where he / she found it. He / she will tell you a story, such as, “I’m now out of state traveling (or working). I was in your area and found your pet. If you wire me some money, I will send your pet home immediately”. It’s a scam. DON’T FALL FOR THIS.

If he / she is telling you the truth, then he / she will have no problem taking the pet to the nearest animal shelter, or police department, and verifying through an official agency that they do in fact have your pet. Then you can work out the procedures of rewards and recovery of your pet. Never give anyone any money for your pet until you actually see your pet first.

Another scam. Person will call you and tell you that he / she is retired, or a truck driver, and picked up a hitchhiker who had your pet. Your pet was sick / injured and the person calling you took your pet to the local vet. The caller will then say something like, “If you send me the money that I paid for your pet at the vet’s office, I’ll send you your pet on the next airplane”.

Ask the caller for their telephone#, name, and address. Send the police there to verify their statements. If they are telling you the truth (99.9%) of the time they are not, then work out the details of reward and returning the animal after the police or animal control has verified it is in fact your pet.

Watch out for unsavory businesspersons. There are a lot of new pet finder services out on the market. Get references.

Once such business calls themselves “PETFINDERS”. They claim,” They will contact everyone within a specific radius from where you live to help you look for your pet for a fee”. From 1986 to current date, we’ve never heard of anyone being satisfied with his or her work. When we’ve called them and asked them for references, they refused to give us any.

When our clients asked them for proof of their work they claim they’ve done, they refuse to produce any paper work on which they contacted, how and when. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU NOT TO USE THIS BUSINESS. We’ve filed numerous complaints against them with the Dept of Justice and Better Business Bureau.

NOTE: There is a web site called PETFINDERS.COM This service allows you to file a report for FREE listing your lost or found pet. We strongly recommend them.

Be wary of pet detectives who charge you fees to go look for your pet. You can do the same job for free. There are a few CREDIBLE PET DETECTIVES. Contact us for our list of referrals.

One comment listed on Craigslist re: Pet finders. “Got a call today from “Petfinders” after listing our lost cat with the Oregonian. They offered to call everybody within a mile radius of our house to give them a description of our lost cat. Looked them up online and it appears to be a total scam”. Beware if they call you.

The person who finds your pet may do the following:

They may call the newspapers and place an ad to advise people that they have found the animal. Check the lost and found ads for people trying to report their animal missing.

File online with local petfinders.com or other pet rescue resources, (Craigslist, My space, etc.) that they’ve found your pet. Report finding your pet at the local animal shelters, veterinarian clinics, or pet stores.

Some folks will sell your pet or give it away to another person, medical research facility, or to a friend.

NOTE: Numerous hospitals and medical research facilities buy animals (dogs and cats) off the street. They claim they don’t, but we have proved this isn’t so. They will not let us tour their facilities for your pet. This includes local hospitals like OHSU, and Good Samaritan. Never support these facilities. Performing medical experiments and testing on animals is cruel and wrong.

The person, who has your pet, may be lonely and may keep the pet and take good care of it. (Especially around the holidays). They may take your pet to a public place such as a park, school, or shopping mall, and let it go, hoping someone else will pick it up and take care of it, or that it will find its way back home. Some cultures will eat your pet. This is highly unusual here in the USA, but it does happen in less then 1% of the cases.

PREDATORS. There are many types of predators that may attack and kill or injure your pet. Humans trying to capture your pet to collect the rewards, or sell it to a medical facility for experiments. Other animals such as other dogs, birds of prey such as hawks, eagles, owls. Coyotes, raccoons, possums, cougars, or bears may also attack your pet.

Predators killing your pet occur in less then 30% of our cases that we investigate. If you live in the wilderness, country, or rural areas, check your local animal trails for coyote-bear-wolf poop and look for your pet’s hair inside to prove or disprove it’s been consumed by a predator. Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Possums, Raccoons, Coyotes, Fox, Bears, Cougars, Bob cats, and some larger snakes can eat small dogs and cats. Don’t blame the predator. You’re the one who allowed fifi or fido to run loose in the predator’s home. Every year from March through July, we find a huge increase of missing small dogs and cats that have become food for coyotes and raccoons feeding and protecting their young. Be aware of the dangers of allowing your pet to run loose.

WHEN YOU’VE FOUND YOUR PET. Your pet may suffer from psychogenic shock and it may be traumatized. Your pet might not even recognize you as their owner, once you’ve spotted one another. NEVER RUN UP TO YOUR PET.

Your pet may run away, or it may attack you to defend itself. The best thing to do is to STOP and SIT DOWN near the pet, take a deep breath, and calm down. Calmly call out your pet’s name repeatedly, in a very soft voice, trying to lure it back to you. If you have another pet at home that has bonded with the missing pet, take it with you on your search. Let your other pet greet the one that’s in shock. Once you’ve recovered your pet, take it to your vet. Immediately.

IF YOUR PET IS FOUND HIDING or has been spotted. Bring some pet food and something that has your scent on it, like a dirty sock, shirt, or other piece of clothing that hasn’t been washed. Put some of the pet’s food into the pieces of your unwashed clothing, and leave it in the immediate area. You may even leave your scent trail from this area to your home, if it’s close by. This may bring the pet out of its shock and draw it back to you. Leave a piece of soiled unwashed clothing, cut up in the size of a quarter, trailing home. One piece every three hundred feet.

HUMAN URINE SCENT TRAIL. Another method that works is to have the person who the pet is bonded with the most at home, urinate into a spray bottle. Mix the urine with water. This sounds weird, but this actually has brought home about 5% of our cases. Then go to the areas of possible sightings and spray a SCENT TRAIL of your urine back home. One squirt (from the spray bottle) every 30 yards. Use a route where your pet won’t get hit by a car. The pet may not come out of hiding. A live box trap and trained animal capture staff are available to trap the animal without hurting it. Contact your local animal control agency for assistance.

If your Pet is found dead. You may call a Critter Gitter service to transport it, or animal control to pick up and handle your pet’s remains for cremation or burial services. See pet loss support group counseling services. They are free.

THE USE OF SEARCH DOGS. If your pet is lost and you’ve called our K-9 Search & Rescue team, here’s what to expect. First we’ll send you this lost pet profile information for free.

We will obtain a missing pet description and profile, take a report, and obtain a scent article belonging to your pet. (Some kind of fur, hair, blanket, or collar that only the pet has touched or worn, or laid on). We can then initiate a track of the missing / stolen pet with a trained search dog team. In 95% of our cases, we are often called days, weeks, or even months later after the animal has been lost.

In 97% of our cases, our search dog team will track right to where the pet is currently at, or where it was picked up by some well-meaning person.

The person who finds your pet, normally will remove the pet from the area by vehicle. The search dog can determine if the pet was killed and the location where this happened.

When the scent trail ends, if we don’t find the pet hiding or laying in the area dead, this is a strong indicator that your pet has been picked up by a well meaning person. This occurs in 70% of our cases. We then ask you to post signs at this location. The person who picked up your pet, observes the poster and will hopefully will call you to return your pet.

If your pet was picked up and removed from the area by a human, what do you do then? Post signs. Whoever picked up your pet most likely will be looking for a lost poster and will do everything they can to find the pets owners. Remember to post a sign in English and Spanish.

SCENT. All search dogs, as in any other kind of tracking animal, will pick up the freshest scent of the animal, and track it instinctively. As a human or animal walks along, it sheds approximately 10,000 pieces of scent per minute. This scent falls to the ground and stays there until the wind and air currents moves the scent to nearby dirt, sand, brushy vegetation areas. The scent is held there until it fully dissipates about a year later.

When an animal or human walks in one specific direction, it’s laying down scent that the trained search dog can track up to 365 days later, even in the rain. Rain actually helps the scent. It brings the scent closer to the ground surface, keeps the search dog’s nasal passages moist to help the dog retain the scent and it will liven the scent.

What hurts scent? Heavy vehicle and human traffic contaminates the scent. Heavy rains of 2 inches per day may wash the scent down. Heat dries out the scent and the search dog’s nasal scent receptors, making it harder for the search dog to track.

Cigarette smoke contains a poisonous drug called Nicotine. Nicotine is an anesthetizing agent that can numb up the search dogs scent receptors by 95% and make the search dog’s job much more difficult. If you smoke around your pet, the second hand cigarette smoke poison that you are putting into their little lungs (Nicotine) can also alter the missing pet’s scent, therefore throwing off a search dog. That’s why all of our team members are non-smokers. That’s also why you are never allowed to smoke around our search dogs or their handlers. You are also exposing your pet to many types of respiratory diseases and cancer.

Can search dog’s track at night? Yes, of course we can. In fact we prefer it. Air molecules stay lower to the ground at night, and there are fewer scents to contend with in the evening and early morning.

FALSE TRACKS. A false track happens when the animal walks one specific direction, then the pet owner, or someone else, walks on top of the pets scent, (usually in or around the home). This transfers the pet’s scent onto the bottom of the person’s footwear, and when the person walks or drives a different direction, this person is now giving off a fresher scent of the missing pet to track. This is called a false scent trail. There is no way to prevent this from happening, it’s a fact of life. The only way that you can help this from happening, is to call our K-9 Search and Rescue team out immediately before you do any looking, so as not to contaminate the track. With our experience in tracking, we can quickly determine if we’re on a false or a true track / trail.

What if the search dog tracks my pet to one specific location, and we get reports of sightings in a completely different area? It is not unusual at all for someone who is well meaning to pick up a lost animal. Soon the animal becomes too much responsibility for the person to take care of. They may let the pet go at a nearby park, school, or business. They may take it back to where they found it and set it free, hoping it will find its way back home.

The pet may just break free from the person and try to find its own way back home. So, if the search dog team tracks your pet to one specific area and indicates your pet has been removed from this area, and, a few days later you get reports your pet is seen in an entirely different area, don’t be upset at the search dog. REMEMBER, The search dog doesn’t know how to lie. Be upset at the person who removed your pet and then let it go somewhere else. This unfortunately happens in approximately 5% of our cases.

How do we know the search dog’s track was accurate? There is never 100% guarantee that we’ll find your loved one. We’ll give it our best efforts. Again I’ll repeat myself. A SEARCH DOG doesn’t know how to lie. That’s why their testimony in a court of law is accepted, with training, testing, and mission documentation.

A search dog is trained to follow the freshest track or scent trail of the scent given to them by their dog handler. A mutual trust exists between the dog handler and the search dog. We use the dogs’ nose and tracking, air scenting, and trailing capabilities along with our man and animal tracking and clue capabilities to confirm why our search dog is leading us to a specific area. During our search we look for clues such as foot prints, fecal matter, hair, blood and other signs to prove or disprove the track. This is call confirming a valid track.

What is your success rate in finding lost / missing / stolen pets with search dogs? 70%. We physically find 30% during the initial search. The remaining 40% of the pets that are found later because of the track. They are found because the search dog led us to a specific area where the animal was picked up, and the pet owners post signs there. The person(s) who picked up your pet, see the signs, and call you. 15% of the animals are found by their owners or animal control and 10% are never ever found. _____.

Why are 10% of the pets never found? They may have fallen victim to a predator. Two or four legged. People may sell your pet for drugs, dog fighting, medical experiments, food, or its fur. This is rare but it does occur. Four legged predators such as bears, cougars, bobcats, larger dogs, opossums, raccoons, and some birds of prey have been known to carry off smaller pets and transport their remains to their den.

Why don’t you track the pet to the predator’s den? It is not our position to interfere with nature. We don’t wish to harm or annoy the predators. Nor do we want our search dogs to be injured by the predator trying to protect its home and its babies. When people build their homes in or around wilderness, rivers, creeks, green spaces, they are unknowingly taking away the predators homes. And, by doing so, they are providing food for the predator should the pet wander.

PETS AND STRANGERS. I get told on almost every search, “my pet will never go to a stranger”. This is not a true statement at all. When the pet owner is talking about their pet, they’re talking about the pet they know in a controlled environment. The pet is in a stable home, has food and human contact, etc. Once an animal gets away from this environment, they have to survive on their own. They revert back to what’s known as a feral stage. They will hunt to kill and eat food and they will drink from water in mud puddles, creeks, and streams. They may steal food and water from other animals’ dishes in their surroundings. And when they are hungry, tired, and scared enough they will seek out humans for comfort and safety.

Posters: When you print a poster, here is a suggestion that works very well. Leave some kind of information about your pet out of your description that only you will know about. That way you can determine if the caller has your pet or not. Post your signs within a 1-mile radius for a cat and a 5-mile radius for a lost dog. Generally into the wind. (Find out which way the wind was blowing on the day your pet disappeared). Most pets including horses head into the wind when lost.

Post at stores, schools, offices, parks, etc. Post your signs, after a search dog team has determined the route your animal has traveled. This will save you money and time. Remember you will have to remove the signs when you get your pet back. We actually recommend that you make two different types of posters up.

One with a REWARD notice at top, the photo of your pet underneath. It’s name, your area code and telephone. That’s it, nothing else. Let the reporting person id your pet to you with more specifics to prove they have your pet. (Read our scam section). Say something to the effect of “$ REWARD $ for safe return of missing pet, no questions asked”.

Make a second poster up with all the information. Post the Pets name, microchip #, tattoo type, location, collar make, type, id type. Weight, height, length, eye color, hair color, medical identifiers, etc. This detailed information is sent to your vets, police departments, Postal employees, animal control agencies and search teams.

NOTE: If you have a large Hispanic speaking culture in your area, don’t forget to make up signs in Spanish as well.

STOLEN PETS: If it’s determined that your pet has been stolen, you will need to file a stolen pet report with your local law enforcement agency, and the Department of Agriculture Humane Society Law Enforcement. Keep their case # and a copy of their report on file.

If a search dog team responds, after their search, you will be sent a report showing their findings, and an invoice for their search costs. Keep a copy on file.

Lately we’ve seen a lot of lazy police officers who don’t wish to be bothered with doing their job and taking a report. Remind them please, that pets are considered personal property. If someone takes possession of your property without your consent, they are required by law to report finding your pet (property).

If the person who takes possession of your pet refuses or fails to file a found report, this constitutes, “Theft of personal property”. This is a crime. A police officer has the responsibility to take a crime report and investigate the crime.

If / when we capture the suspect(s) and recover your animal(s), you will need to provide photographs, (proof of ownership), and a value of the animal. (Cost of vet services, meals, breeding, purchase, general care, etc.) You may also be called to testify against the suspect(s). This is why we want you to document your every action in your search for your pet. Many pets are stolen and sold for breeding, resale values, rewards offered, dog fighting, or sold to medical labs for medical experiments.

A new service that I do recommend that just came out is www.findtoto.com

MEDICAL LABS / Hospitals: Contact your local hospitals that purchase animals for medical experiments, and demand to view their animals in their clinics. (They will refuse). But, if enough people demand to see if their pet has been purchased by the hospital, the hospitals may change their attitudes.

There’s been a recent increase in pets stolen for their FUR. Let’s stop them now.

Example: “Rapper Jay-Z, founder of the Rocawear clothing line, is taken to task by the Humane Society after it finds that the “faux fur” in jackets sold by his company is actually dog fur”.

Remember, once you’ve located your pet.

Contact I.K.9.S.A.R.S. Immediately. www.k9sardog.com

Call all local animal control agencies and advise them to remove your pet’s name from their listings. _____.

Take precautionary measures so that it won’t happen again. Tattoo / Microchip and ID your pet. ___.

Pass on our web site to others who are searching for their pets.

Before your pet is lost, ID your pet.

1. Talk with your veterinarian. Determine and document the following: Identify the breed(s) of your pet. ___________. Pet’s weight: _____. Age: ________. Height: __________. Hair: Short Medium Long. (Circle One). Tail length: Short Medium Long. (Circle One) Eye Color: _________. Microchip Brand: ________#____________________________. Other ID: ____________________________________________________.

List Medications:______________________________________________.
Veterinarian’s Name:______________Address:_______________________
Telephone #’s: ___________________________________.

2. Comb out the pet’s hair and place it inside a clean envelope. Place the animal’s name on the outside of the envelope and date it. It will be good for two years as a scent article for a search dog, if your pet is lost.

4. Microchip and Tattoo your pet. Ask your local animal shelter or veterinarian about these services.

5. NEVER leave a collar or choke chain on an animal. Many animals are found choked to death by choke chains and regular id collars. Use either a harness with the id attached on back, or a breakaway ID collar.

6. Never smoke cigarettes around your pet. Not only will it make them very ill from the nicotine poisoning, but it alters their original scent, and can make it very difficult for a search dog to track them. The first word in Webster’s dictionary about the drug NICOTINE is “POISON”. Quit smoking, you’ll live longer.

7. Always check references of resources that you wish to use. We have THOUSANDS of satisfied customers, and references are available upon request.

8. Always seat belt or crate your pet when you travel. See our web site for photos and instructions on how to do this. www.k9sardog.com

Review our web site at: www.k9sardog.com for more SAR and private pet detective references. (Note) we look for missing people also.

POSTER SAMPLES.

Example # 1. Very limited information on this poster to avoid scams.

REWARD for MISSING DOG.

Example # 2. Very detailed information on this poster. This is given to law enforcement, animal control, vets, shelters, etc.

REWARD FOR MISSING DOG. Name: “LARS”. Breed: MUTT. Long hair chi. mix. Age: 4 years Weight: 5 lbs. Colors: Tan and white. Microchip: AVID 000-000-000. Tattoo: “I.K.9.S.A.R. RULES”. Owners: Mrs. Thompson Email:find-me-at@aol.com Home: 503-222-2222.

If the pet has been stolen, post a poster that states, “Reward for safe return of stolen pet” No questions asked. Give them your telephone#.

I.K.9.S.A.R.S. is a professional K-9 SAR Dog team that uses professionally trained K-9 Search dog teams to track missing persons or pets.

We’ve been in business since 1986 and currently are the most documented successful search dog team in the world for tracking missing persons or missing pets.

Q. Can a search dog track a lost pet after two weeks?
A. We sure can. We’ve successfully tracked a lost cat one year after the

number if you wish to verify this statement. We also have documented a missing 16 year

old in Canada. We tracked him a year after he disappeared and both search dogs found

Q. It’s rained a lot recently, does this affect the scent?
A. No not at all. Rain actually helps keep the scent moist and helps the dog’s nasal

A. Depends on how far you live away from Longview, Wa.

Our costs. $25.00 per hour travel time each way from Longview,

Washington. $50.00 per fifteen minutes of searching. $ other travel costs,

Q. What is your success rate in finding lost / missing / stolen pets with search dogs?

A. 70%. We physically find 30% during the initial search. The remaining 40% of the pets that are found later because of the track. They are found because the search dog led us to a specific area where the animal was picked up, and the pet owners post signs there. The person(s) who picked up your pet, see the signs, and call you. 15% of the animals are found by their owners or animal control and 10% are never ever found.

See the following pages, for some of our hundred’s of references.

Our References#1.

Kathryn Bratcher wrote: Hello. My name is Kathryn Bratcher and I live in Snohomish, Washington. I was referred to you by Janos Wimpffen of Redmond in an effort to help me recover my lost dog. He told me of your search dog, Valerie. My dog, Te’ Amo, has been missing since the evening of April 30^th and has been spotted (possibly) twice within 2-3 miles of our home in the last two days. As you can imagine, our family is devastated. Please contact me with information regarding your services and whether or not you and Valerie would be able to help us recover our beloved pet. You may respond to this e-mail. Thank you.

Kathryn Bratcher wrote: Harry: Thank you for your quick response! I’ve also heard your voicemail this morning and want to thank you for the tip to keep him in the area. He has been sighted several times within a mile of home (at least five now) and I found out last night that three people saw him AT OUR HOUSE two days ago. That indicates to me that the little rascal is not “lost” but maybe just on an adventure. Nonetheless, I want him home. It doesn’t seem right to call out a team if he’s wandering the neighborhood on his own, though. (He is neutered so I can’t imagine what the attraction is...maybe just freedom from the fence). Do you have any suggestions how I can maybe use socks or other personal items to lure him home?

From: “Harry E. Oakes Jr.” To: Kathryn Bratcher Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 11:32:06 Neutering doesn’t keep the sex drive down for a dog. Does it work for a human male? NO..... :) So don’t assume because he’s been cut that he’s lost his sex drive. GO pee allot. Yup that’s right. now don’t get your britches up in a stir. What I mean is, in all seriousness aside, drink water, coffee, whatever, makes you have to do the #1.

Then put it in a spray bottle and go around to the sightings and spray till your little hearts content. Then drive home spraying the “Special scent” of yours all the way home. This is the strongest scent a dog can track and it’s much more appealing (The spray bottle that is) then the other options.

Try that. The most important thing to be concerned about is your dog getting hit by a car. Try to find someone in the area of the sightings that will call you immediately when they see him. Try this, if it doesn’t work, a live dog trap (Box type) works. but, you may catch raccoons, tigers, lions, cats, possums, and coyotes maybe even Bigfoot???? So that’s the last option. If this stuff doesn’t work, call me and I’ll come up there with my search dog and track the little fella. Thanks good luck and let me know how it goes. Harry

Tue, 08 May 2001 16:10:44 From:”Kathryn Bratcher” kathbrat@hotmail.com To: search dog@iinet.com Dear Harry: I picked up your message Saturday afternoon. I must say I didn’t expect the advice you gave...BUT IT WORKED!!! It took me about nine hours on Saturday to drink enough to make a trail from the area he was sighted to home (of course I led him down the back roads :) I finished my “trail” about 10:00 on Saturday evening and when I woke up at 6:30 a.m. he was in the front yard waiting to be let in! I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR ADVICE and it really does make a great story! Although he is home safe, he’s not exactly sound. He suffered severe knee injury on his little adventure and underwent surgery this afternoon.

He’ll be home from the hospital tomorrow afternoon and our lives will FINALLY regain some degree of normalcy. Thank you again, Harry! I never would have thought of such a trick on my own! Te’ Amo thanks you, too!!!

Ref# 2.

Onalee Owass@earthlink.net

Thank you again for finding Pookie for us. I wish so much I had known about your service 3 days earlier and I think we could have found her alive. I know her time on earth was going to be limited but knowing she died all alone without us is hard for me. But it was good to find her so we didn’t have to wonder and worry about her and we could bring her home to bury. I will certainly recommend your services to anyone in our situation. Please send me a picture at your convenience. Thanks, Onalee and Jerry Wasserburger

Ref# 4. Oregon Humane Society (503) 285-7722 Director Sharon Harmon We found her dog dead.

Vicki Johnson

06-16-06 dfalasca@verizon.net Harry, Just wanted to say thank you so much for all your help with finding Rambo. We could not have done it without you!! You provided us with an enormous amount of information and a generous supply of support, which we will never, ever forget. Although we never met in person, I know you would just love Rambo. He is a very mello chihuahua, and the sweetest dog we have ever had. He is very happy to be back home in California!! Best Regards, Ron, Doreen & Dana Falasca

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Jud Landis jud.landis@gmail.com Hello: Thank you very much for your prompt response, your informative web site, and your phone call. Our dog showed up at our back door at 6:15 AM today, after we placed a urine trail back to our house Sunday night (we’d laid it the wrong way first). So, thank you so much for that piece of advice. I am telling anybody who asks about it, even if they think I’m strange. Sincerely, Jud Landis Eugene, OR

10-28-07 Lost dog Idaho. Elaine Peoples <skeeterchex@verizon.net 10-28-07 Harry, I am very thankful to every one that helped.... I have to mention.... I said a prayer just 10 minutes before I saw Sparky zipping past me as I came out of that gate on the culvert side to the mobile home park..... I called him and he stopped and looked at me.... thought about a minute to see if it was really me....and then came to me.... of course I scooped him up and thanked GOD for answering my prayers and especially so fast.... NOW I also have to give credit to YOU for locating the actual spot that I left him at...and the nice people that called to tell me they saw him..... THEY saw my newspaper add in the Idaho News.... It started on Saturday...and they called Sunday 7 AM to tell me ....and I was already on my way to search again today....Happy ending.... good night......we will all sleep better tonight....Elaine THANK YOU HARRY, WILLOW and VAL.

Andria Squires <alexs221@hotmail.com

Harry, We have her! I got a call last night from the AKC number on her tags and they gave me contact information of the family who had her. I called them right away and we went over to get her. They live in Council Crest. The two little girls said they had seen her running around the neighborhood for a couple of days, but they finally caught her last night. The family, by the way, was the Schnitzer family, like in Arleen Schnitzer concert hall. We tried offering the reward but they of course would take it so we said we would donate it in there name to the Oregon Humane Society, since the father is on the board. We can only guess that whoever picked her up from Quizno’s let her lose in the area or she escaped from them (good girl!) and was found by the right family. I was glad that I had read you note about what to do when you find your dog because I knew what to expect. She didn’t recognize us as first. SHe was hesitant to come near me and then when she did she had to touch me with her nose before she recognized me. She is acting like she is in shock a bit, but doesn’t have any major injuries. There is a cut under her eye and she is walking stiff, but after a bath and good nights sleep, she looks good. I’m waiting for the vet to open so they can check her out. Thanks again for all your wonderful help!!! Woo Hoo!!! Lucy is home!!! Andria

Please send a check to I.K.9.S.A.R.S. PO Box# 1472, Longview, Washington 98632 USA. This gift is NOT Tax deductible. WE are NOT A NON PROFIT 501-C-3 Organization. We are in fact a FOR PROFIT Professional business. We do DONATE our own money, time and efforts during times of disasters.

Other stories about Harry and his search dogs.

Claudia Kirchoch search in Jamaica.

Turkey

Honduras

Dog Obedience

Dog Rescue efforts

Cat searches

Other info re: Dogs

Search dog Yogi

SAR Dog Links

Animal Rescue

Missing Children

Missing Ore. City girls: Was the FBI too slow? Transcript from Dateline NBC 08:44 PM PST on Friday, January 27, 2006 By Keith Morrison, NBC News Correspondent

VIDEO:

OREGON CITY—It was evening, dark and cold, in this suburb of Portland, when the call came in to a 911 dispatcher. A mother was reporting a missing daughter. During her 911 call, the immediate assumption was that 12 year old must be a runaway. So began the long strange tale of what happened to Ashley Pond. It began not with a bang, but a whimper, as it dawned on a young mother what terrors could lie ahead.

Lori Pond’s daughter, Ashley, had simply vanished— gone, or so it seemed on her way to school in the town of Oregon City in January 2002.

Linda O’Neal, relative: It was very upsetting. A 12-year-old child had disappeared, you know? This is a child!

Linda O’Neal is a member of Ashley’s extended family; Linda’s husband was once married to Ashley’s grandmother. Not exactly a close relationship... but Linda certainly knew about Ashley.

Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: How would you describe her as a little girl? Linda O’Neal: Well, she was kind of known as having an attitude…

But Linda was not just family; she was also a licensed private investigator. And, in those first days, her experience told her Ashley was probably okay.

Police in Oregon City apparently agreed. But then a whole week went by, no sign of Ashley anywhere. Runaways inevitably contact someone, but she didn’t. And now local officials, thinking “abduction,” called in the FBI.

Jim Redden, crime reporter for Portland Tribune: One of the problems with the case is that there was a wealth of suspects.

Jim Redden is a veteran crime reporter for the Portland Tribune. Ashley, he soon learned, had disappeared from an apartment complex that was a “mulligan stew” of troubled souls.

Redden: It had a lot of welfare cases. It had a number of mentally ill people that would be placed there by the county. There were a lot of single mothers who attracted a lot of really bad boyfriends.

In fact police searching for suspects found no fewer than 90 sex offenders living within a mile of the complex. One possible suspect was Ashley’s own biological father. He’d been convicted of sexually abusing her during one of her visits.

As weeks passed, a terrible realization began to set in around town. Ashley’s little group of best friends knew it, and everybody seemed to sense it— something awful had happened to Ashley.

A friend of Ashley’s, Miranda Gaddis, was interviewed by a TV reporter, not knowing that fate had its eye on her too.

Miranda Gaddis (in TV interview prior to her death): It’s really hard to believe that happened to one of your friends or something. It’s just really different and really sad.

In the weeks that followed, the task force would chase hundreds of leads.They would, according to newspaper reports, watch Ashley’s mother, and her mom’s boyfriend. Investigators even began tailing a couple of male neighbors from the apartments. No one, it seemed, knew anything. It was as if Ashley Pond had disappeared into thin air.

And then, two months after Ashley disappeared, the girl interviewed by a reporter, Ashley Pond’s friend Miranda unbelievably, turned up missing too. Two girls vanished from the same apartment complex. They went to the same school, and were even on the same dance team! Both vanished, within 8 weeks of one another.

O’Neal: When the second girl disappeared, it caused panic, absolute panic. They were afraid that there was a serial killer among them.

AP photo

Ward Weaver is escorted into a courtroom by deputies following his arrest.

In this suburb of Portland, everyone could feel the chill. The disappearance of 13-year-old Miranda Gaddis was a sickening reminder of the way 12-year-old Ashley Pond vanished 2 months before. Now, the FBI ramped up its investigation, and called in scores of agents.

Soon more than 60 of them were working on the case. A true task force was assigned to find the answers about Ashley and Miranda.

Private investigator Linda O’Neal began to turn down other work to work on this case full time. It was a little crazy, maybe, given the size of the official investigation, but Linda felt a real family connection with Ashley. This was personal.

Keith Morrison, Dateline correspondent: What made you think that you could help solve this crime? Linda O’Neal: Well, the FBI would say “We have no suspects, we have no crime scene, and we have no clues,” so it appeared that they needed a little help.

Some on the list: A former neighbor on the wrong end of a restraining order taken out by an ex-girlfriend, Miranda’s father once convicted of abusing two minor girls. And that was just for starters. So Linda decided to start with a name she’d heard from Ashley’s aunt.

O’Neal: I asked, “Who are the people in Ashley’s life?” And she told me about Ward Weaver.

Ward Weaver as a neighbor, and a family friend, whose home was right next to the apartment complex in which Ashley and her mother lived. In fact, Weaver had been interviewed on television too…

Ward Weaver (during TV interview prior to his arrest): That little girl took off, I wholeheartedly believe that.

Weaver did have a criminal record for assault, but it had been 16 years before. Now, he seemed like a hard-working single father raising a daughter Ashley’s age. And police had already checked out his alibi and sent several teams of officers and dogs to search his house and property. They found nothing. And after all, there were so many suspects.

Morrison: Why would Ward Weaver stand out in that group? O’Neal: Because Ashley had complained that he had sexually molested her.

And yet, as Linda learned, those allegations had apparently been investigated. And no charges had been filed.

O’Neal: I get this information Ward Weaver is on death row! Morrison: Death row? But you’ve got ward weaver in your town!? O’Neal: This fellow on death row for serial murder was Ward Weaver’s father!

Strange, but true: Weaver’s father had been on California’s death row for two decades. But surely just having a father who was a killer wasn’t reason enough to suspect the son?

Then, just about the time Linda was contemplating that question, a second private investigator offered to help: Harry Oakes. Oakes was a bit of a maverick who runs a for profit search and rescue center. And this is his partner was a 12-year-old pound rescued mutt named Valerie.

Many police departments don’t like him, says Oakes, and don’t use him. But in this case he waived his fee, did some background work, showed the dog some of Ashley’s clothing, and went to work.

Harry Oakes, private investigator: The track led from the apartment complex up the road, the staircase, to Ward’s property.

Harry, with his Valerie now excited and on the chase, knocked at Weaver’s door and asked for permission to search the house.

Harry Oakes: He said, “I don’t have any problem with you searching, they’ve already brought in 7 different search dog teams. I have nothing to hide.” During the search of the house she gave me a death alert of Ashley’s scent in Ward’s hallway. Morrison: Did Valerie alert anywhere else? Oakes: Yes. When we went outside to the back area, there was a slab that had been poured. Morrison: A concrete slab? Oakes: A concrete slab. And where the slab met with the grass, the dirt where they came together, my dog was smelling Ashley’s scent coming out of there. Morrison: Did you call 911? Oakes: I made a report and turned it into Oregon City police department.

A record of Harry’s report shows it was indeed turned in to police on March 20^th, less than two weeks after Miranda disappeared.

Morrison: Was there any reaction from the police? Oakes: They basically ignored us. Morrison: What about the FBI? Oakes: Ignored us.

But not long after, Harry’s report found its way to the desk of private eye Linda O’Neal.

Morrison: What did his report say to you as an investigator? O’Neal: It said “red flag.” His dog had alerted a death alert over a freshly poured concrete slab in our Ward Weaver’s backyard.

And something about that slab resonated with Linda: Remember, when she was digging into the background of Ward Weaver’s father, the serial killer on death row? She found out what he had done with one of his victims.

O’Neal: He buried her in the middle of his backyard. And then covered it with concrete. Morrison: A concrete slab? O’Neal: Yes.

And Linda’s suspicions were about to grow. Over the next few weeks, teachers, dance coaches, and even Weaver’s ex-wives would tell her stories of disturbing and inappropriate behavior. There was the teacher who saw We

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