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REMEMBERING OUR FOUR LEGGED HERO'S. Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr. is the founder of the Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, which is now known as the International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. Harry has been involved in SAR (Search and Rescue) since 1972. Harry is a former police officer of 12 years, Search and Rescue Coordinator for Morrow County Sheriff's Office, and a former state certified EMT. Harry developed the search dog program in the state of Oregon in 1986 while he was a member of Portland Mountain Rescue. Harry later became an instructor for Polk County Sheriff's Office for Search and Rescue.
SAR Deputy Harry Oakes with Morrow County Sheriff’s Department Heppner, Oregon Later with Washington County Sheriff’s Dept. Harry now teaches privately all aspects of search and rescue. K-9 SAR dogs, man tracking, urban disaster search and rescue, mountain rescue, high angle rope rescue, swift water rescue, and outdoor winter, summer, urban, wilderness, desert, jungle and water survival. SAR Dog Kodi Oakes K-9-1. Oct. 1986, - Jan 1988. Kodi was a black lab. Trained by Harry and worked for two years with Harry as a member of the Portland Mountain Rescue Team as well as Oregon D.O.G.S. (Dogs Organized for Ground Search and Rescue). Documenting 41 Missions with 39 Finds of Missing Humans. Sadly Kodi died and is now in Heaven. SAR Dog Ranger Oakes K-9-1. Jan. 1988- Nov. 1994. Ranger was a black Lab-Newfoundland mix. Saved from the dog pound. Trained by Harry and worked for 7-1/2 years with Harry in Portland Mountain Rescue, Oregon D.O.G.S. and Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs. Documenting 382 Missions. 236 Human searches, 56 Live finds, 77 Dead finds. 146 Lost pet searches, 23 Live Finds, 12 Dead Finds. Ranger was Harry's second search dog. Harry with his son Brandon, found Ranger in the Multnomah County animal control dog pound and saved him. They trained him for all aspects of search and rescue. During his 7 1/2-year career, Ranger, a spoiled rotten Lab Newfoundland pound puppy, documented over 370 search and rescue missions for 350 missing persons and pets. He found 124 missing humans and 33 missing pets. He also documented over 20,000 hours of training, testing and actual missions and traveled over 250,000 miles around the world to perform search and rescue.
Ranger to this day is rated as one of the top search and rescue dogs in the history of search and rescue. He has twice been featured on the TV Series "Rescue 9-1-1". He was featured on over 150 TV and radio talk shows. Over 250 newspaper and magazine articles were written about "Ranger". A book "A Call to DUTY" is his life story seen through his eyes as a search and rescue dog. He won the National Jefferson Award, The KPTV For Kids Sake Award, The Oregon Pet Hall of Fame Award, and he is the only dog in the history of search and rescue to win the National NASAR's Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue Award for helping Harry save 2 drowning children off the Oregon Coast in the Pacific Ocean near Seaside, Oregon.
"There is a new star in the sky tonight. It shines my way through the night, to guide me to where I must go. It's brightness and warmth that is provides, is the same brightness and warmth that was shared to all who knew Ranger here on earth. I know its Ranger still guiding my way through life's wilderness. To show me the way. I lost my best friend today, the world lost a true hero. Ranger Oakes 1987-1994".
Funeral memorial services were held Dec. 1, 1994 for Mountain Wilderness Search Dog Ranger Oakes. The service was held at Parkrose Community Church and there was standing room only for his service. He performed his first search mission in 02-18-1988, and found the victim dead in less then four minutes. He performed his last search mission Nov. 24, 1994 and found that victim also. When he wasn't' working, he was helping Harry teach children and adults how to be safe through the Help Us Find You search and rescue safety program. Ranger performed over 1,035 school, church, camp and safety fair programs. Even today I have kids and their parents approach me to tell me how much they miss him. He loved playing "Tug of war" with his human brother Brandon and his dog sister "Valorie". Not only was Ranger a fantastic search dog, but also he was my best friend and partner. He loved his work and all of the people he meant. He worked the Philippine Earthquake, Northridge CA earthquake, and numerous other disasters around the world. He was truly a gift to the entire world from GOD. and now he is safe in Heaven where he will be playing and resting until it is my time to join him. Ranger we love you and miss you dearly, the world has lost a gentle giant, and I have lost the love of my life. God bless you and be safe. Love, hugs, and kisses, your partner, friend, handler, and dad. Harry. Last Night I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep. I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here." I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me. I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more. I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there. I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said " it's me." You looked so tired, and sank into a chair. I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there. It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday, to say to you with certainty, "I never went away." You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you. The day is over and as you climb the stairs I smile and watch you yawning and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning." And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide, I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side. I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see. Be patient, live your journey out then come home to be with me.
SAR Dog Ranger, my HERO. SAR Dog Valorie Oakes K-9-1. Nov. 1994 - June 2008. SAR Dog Valorie worked for 14 years with Harry in Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs and International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. Before SAR Dog Valorie’s retirement, she worked 6,331 Missions with 1,547 documented finds & assisted finds of people, pets, suspect identifications, and evidence. This also is a world record. Photographs of both Harry and Valorie can be reviewed in People Magazine Nov. 30, 98 issue page# 61. All these facts have been verified by several law enforcement agencies. Schiperkee, Mutt Mix. Photographs of both can be reviewed in People Magazine Nov. 30, 98 issue page# 61. Numerous finds made in both the Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster 1995, Honduras after Hurricane Mitch struck 1998, and in both of the Turkey Earthquakes in 8/99 and 11/99. Valorie has flown 650 times in cabin, without incident. SAR Dog Valorie is the first search dog ever to be allowed into Jamaica for a search mission. She was successful in finding evidence and identifying a murder suspect in the case.
Ms. Valorie has traveled around the world twice, with Harry performing search and rescue. Ms Valorie has also assisted Harry in performing over 700 Help Us Find You Search & Rescue Safety programs at schools, churches, camps, and safety fairs. Ms. Valorie is Harry's personal dog as well. She was saved from the dog pound, trained for all aspects of search and rescue to include searches in and for: People and Animals, kidnapping's, evidence finds, homicide searches, Rock-Snow-Mud-Sand-Building Debris Avalanches. Day or Night searches in Mountain Wilderness, Glaciers, Crevasses for Mountain Rescue missions. Jungles, Bayou's, Urban, Desert, Fresh and Salt water Ocean drowning victims, transportation accidents, Bombings, Fires, Floods, Tornados, Earthquakes, Storms. In April of 1995, Ms. Valorie responded privately with her handler Harry, to the Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster. Valorie has been credited for finding 10 dead victims remains there and assisted in Pet Assisted Therapy at St. Anthony’s Hospital for 5 survivors and their families. SAR Dog Valorie's favorite food, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich from McDonalds. Her favorite TV Show is M.A.S.H. re-runs. Valorie sleeps in Harry's bed, is spoiled rotten. She always wears her seat belt when flying inside the airplane and traveling in a vehicle. Her seat belt runs through her harness. Valorie gets her teeth brushed every day and a full body massage after every mission. SAR Dog Valorie is now enjoying her well earned retirement. SAR Dog Willow March 2007-Current. SAR Dog Willow is a 2 year old border collie. She was rescued from Seattle Border Collie rescue and started training with SAR Dog Valorie and handler – instructor Mr. Harry Oakes. SAR Dog Willow is Harry’s current working search dog and is working with Harry in International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. SAR Dog Willow has documented 895 searches, finding 219 victims at the time of this writing.
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. is the United States first professional For Profit K-9 SAR Dog team. We are now based out of Longview, Wa. With another office in Scappoose, Oregon. Our teams are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond privately, any where in the world, for any kind of Search-Rescue-Recovery Mission for missing people and pets. If you are missing a family member and other SAR Teams have failed to find anything, call us, we can help. We have over a 97% success rate. Web: www.k9sardog.com Email: searchdog@iinet.com Harry E. Oakes Jr. SAR Dog Kodi, SAR Dog Ranger, SAR Dog Valorie. SAR Dog Willow. Harry’s Yahoo 360 blog re SAR. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-aczg0BU5erSlJvtwUKlYqssO Photos of Harry’s search dog teams in action. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25451583@N03/ |
