Tag: Awards

500 Club!

During our recent 2024 holiday celebration we honored three members who have each surpassed 500 search missions: An amazing milestone! Joan Hitchner, Heather Jo Cutting and Greg Varney (L-R) have responded to 503, 529 and 614 callouts, respectively, from the King County Sheriff’s Office since joining KCSD. 500 missions is an extraordinary achievement for any SAR volunteer especially a K9 handler. Please join us in congratulating the inaugural members of the KCSD 500 Club; Greg, Heather and Joan for their combined 79 years of commitment as well as thanking them for their continuing community service.

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 […]

Our very own hero

Congratulations K9 Lincoln! The votes have been counted and thanks to your support our very own K9 Lincoln was selected as one of the three semi finalist Search & Rescue Dogs in the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Award competition. We are very proud and grateful to everyone that voted. Even though Lincoln did not make the  finals, this was a great chance to showcase the life-saving work of all the King County Hero Dogs and build community support. Thank You!!!

Congratulations Joan!

Something to really brag about: Joan Hitchner, one of the longest serving Members of King County Search Dogs, was selected as the Volunteer of the year by the King County Sheriff. Over 300 missions thus far in her 16 year career. We are very proud! Ed Christian, the distinguished gentleman on the right of the photo, is the King County Search and Rescue Coordinator and was recognized as King County Deputy of the year at the same ceremony. Wonderful tribute for King County SAR!