Past Recipients

Handler's Name: Samantha Knell

Task Force: Maryland task force1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name: Phoster

Description/Bio:
Samantha and Phoster are members of MDTF-1. Samantha purchased Phoster with the help of the Foundation and brought her home May 2010. They passed their FEMA certification in April 2011.

Phoster is an amazing dog. She loves the work and always tries her hardest. When not working she is cuddled on the couch or getting into the trash. Aside from training she loves to run along side while Samantha bikes the C&O canal

Samantha is a Veterinary Technician in Maryland. She and Phoster share the house with 2 German Shepherds and 3 cats.

 

 

Handler's Name: Gail McCarty

Task Force: Massachusetts Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name: Cajun

Description/Bio: Gail McCarthy is a co-founder and current president of the Massachusetts Rescue and Recovery K9 Unit (MARK9), a civilian canine search and rescue (SAR) organization which operates in Massachusetts. Gail also is a canine handler with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Massachusetts Task Force 1. Gail first became involved with SAR in 1992 and, since that date, Gail has devoted herself to learning all she could about the training of SAR dogs and has willingly shared all she knows with other canine handlers over the years. Gail's second German Shepherd Dog was "Bacco" (Cody z Federatov, FEMA Level I, BH, RH-E, AD, CD, CGC), who was imported from the Czech Republic at 11 months of age. During Bacco's USAR career, he passed the FEMA Advanced Level I Disaster Readiness Evaluation two times. Bacco also was an Advanced Level Wilderness dog with the Massachusetts State SAR Dog Federation (MASSARDF). MASSARDF Advanced Wilderness Certification requires a dog to pass four separate evaluations, each of increasing difficulty. Bacco successfully completed those evaluations in less than seven months, a record which still stands today. One of Gail's current USAR dogs is "Cajun" (Rex von der Sauk), who is also a Czech-bred German Shepherd. Cajun is in training as a Human Remains Detection Dog.

In addition to FEMA and MARK9, Gail is a member of many other SAR organizations. Since 1999, Gail has served on the Board of Directors of Northeast Wilderness Search and Rescue and has participated in many projects aimed at creating an available pool of highly-skilled SAR resources in the New England area. For the past eleven years, Gail has served as the Chairperson for MASSARDF and has assisted in the drafting of minimum performance standards currently applicable to all volunteer SAR canine teams intending to respond to SAR situations occurring within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In recognition of Gail's consistent dedication to the promotion of volunteer canine SAR in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to the training she gives her search dogs, the Massachusetts State Senate recently awarded Gail a "Personal State Citation" on September 8, 2001, a legislative award of distinction about which Gail is understandably proud.

 

Handler's Name: Steve Board

Task Force: Vermont Search and Rescue

K-9's Name: Tater

Description/Bio: In training for wilderness search and rescue

 

Handler's Name: Rayanne Chamberlin

Task Force: Michigan Task Force 1, Michigan Search and Rescue

K-9's Name:Bristol

Description/Bio: Certified Urban Disaster Dog

 

 

 

 

Handler's Name: Scott Pierson

Task Force: Illinois Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name: Xamb

Description/Bio: Fire Fighter, Certified Urban Disaster Dog

 

Handler's Name: Monica Barger

Task Force: Nebraska Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name: Zamb

Description/Bio: Certified Urban Search Dog

 

Handler's Name: Chip Wadsworth

Task Force: Maine Search and Rescue Dogs

K-9's Name: Wren

Description/Bio: I have been an active member of Maine Search and Rescue Dogs (Mesard) since 1989, certifying 2 previous German Shepherds in airscent, water, and HRD and working each for about 10 years. I didn't expect to train another search dog, but when the time came, I decided to go ahead.

I picked up my pup in late Oct 2008. Over the next year we progressed fast and a year later she was certified in airscent. We've also been certified to search shorelines in water search. We've done training in HRD, but not certified. We've gone to 4 searches.

I very much appreciate the Searcg And Rescue Dog Foundation's part in helping me acquire such a good dog. I wanted to start with a puppy of my choosing and probably wouldn't have been able to do that otherwise.

Mesard was formed in 1983 and works primarily with the Maine Warden Service. We currently have 21 members including 2 flankers. Members are certified in one or more of these areas---airscent, tracking/trailing, water, evidence, and HRD.

 

Handler's Name: Bob St Martin

Task Force: Massachusetts Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue / Road Island Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name:Pike

Description/Bio:
Bob is a Critical Care Paramedic working on the primary Advanced Life Support Rescue in America's Hometown Plymouth, Massachusetts . He is currently working two dogs in Search And Rescue with a new "P" Dog coming spring 2011.

Bob is a Canine Search Specialist with both DHS/FEMA MA-TF1 and RI-TF1 Urban Search & Rescue Disaster teams. He is the Human Remains Detection Dog Training Director for the Massachusetts Rescue & Recovery K9 Unit, An Instructor for the International Police Work Dog Association, and he is also on the Massachusetts State SAR Dog Federation Standards Board and the MassSAR Committee. He works missing persons and high profile criminal cases with The Massachusetts State Police and Rhode Island State Police. He has also deployed to several natural and man-made disasters.

K9 Pike was purchased from Maranatha Farm Kennels in Maine with the help of a grant from the Search and Rescue Dog Foundation. Pike is trained in Human Remains Detection and Recovery and has the following certifications. International Police Work Dog Association Advanced Cadaver Search Certified
Massachusetts State Cadaver Dog Certified
CCC Land Human Remains Detection Certified
IPWDA Disaster Recovery Dog

 

Handler's Name: Lorrie Clemmo

Task Force: New Jersey Task Force 1, Urban Search & Rescue

K-9's Name: Huck

Description/Bio: Certified Urban Disaster Dog