There are no words…💔
King County Search Dogs mourns the loss of a legend. K9 Jackson, known to all as “Jack!”, died suddenly last week after a decade of service to our community.
Full of life and a bit full of himself, Jack was a beautiful German Shepherd Dog who was certified in wilderness airscent and human remains detection. Jack was an instant hero when he found a missing 9 year old girl on his very first search. He was so happy to find her and so eager to play that it startled the girl and other searchers had to chase after her while his handler Courtney distracted Jack with reward play. Jack had a special bond with Courtney that was evident on both their faces whenever they trained and on over 150 subsequent mission deployments. As mentors and role models Jack and Courtney helped shape a generation of KCSD search dog teams.
Jack loved everyone. He will forever be remembered for laying his slobbery toy at the feet of each and every person at training asking for a vigorous tug or a game of fetch. It was always a joy when your turn came because it was clear by the look in Jack’s eyes that he did not just want to play, he wanted to play with you!
Cherished memories alone can’t mend broken hearts but we hope you will join us in sending condolences to Courtney and Jack’s protégée K9 Myka.
KCSD Dog Wins AKC Excellence Award on National Television
Wow: We are so proud to report that our very own K9 Lincoln has won the 2022 Search & Rescue Award for Canine Excellence (ACE) from the American Kennel Club Humane Fund. Winners were announced last Sunday on an hour long ESPN2 special that included video profiles and commentary on Lincoln and the winners in the uniform services, support, therapy and companion categories.
Lincoln is an energetic flatcoated retriever certified in wilderness airscent and human remains detection and was recognized for finding at-risk Alzheimer’s subjects twice in the last eighteen months. Lincoln’s handler Jon noted that it is a tribute to the KCSD training program and all the regional colleagues who have shared their expertise over the years.
AKC ACE is a merit-based award, celebrating dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind in five categories from over 600 nominations each year. Honorees receive $1,000 awarded to a pet-related charity of their choice (which will go to KCSD), a one-year supply of Eukanuba premium dog nutrition, and an engraved sterling silver medallion.
The AKC has published a feature article on Lincoln and the you can view the video profile below.
Join us in congratulating Lincoln and Jon on this wonderful recognition.
Congratulations Team Riley!
We are excited to report that K9 Riley and his handler Mary passed their wilderness airscent certification test by finding two ‘lost’ subjects in 40 acres of woods with plenty of time to spare. It was a challenging wet and cold day with gusty winds that were constantly changing. At one point the soap bubbles Mary was using to check the wind started moving to the north but before hitting the ground they reversed and moved ten feet south. K9 Riley was not fooled for a minute. Such a good dog!
New Kids on the Block!
We are so proud to welcome four new members to the KCSD pack. Nikki, Suzanne, Elisabeth and Liz (along with K9s Alta, Beylon and Lyla who have each begun training In trailing) have completed their candidacy training and are ready to deploy on King County Sheriff’s Office search missions. You can learn more about each of these great volunteers on our website www.kcsearchdogs.org/who/current-members/
Canine Kudos for Max!
Join us in congratulating K9 Max and his handler Linda for passing the National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA) Land Human Remains Detection certification test yesterday. NSDA certification is demanding for both handler and dog but helps establish a search dog team’s credentials for the assignments King County Search Dogs receives. The test is a thorough examination with five parts including searching wooded areas, inside buildings, along roads and vehicle exteriors.
Max is a gorgeous german shepherd who certified in wilderness airscent searching earlier this year and we are so very proud of what this team has, and will, accomplish. Go Max!
