The K9 team is here to serve anyone who requests our help, whether it’s law enforcement, government agencies, or private citizens looking for their loved ones. While we are based in Mesa County, we willingly provide resources to other counties and communities as requested.

The K9 teams dedicate thousands of volunteer hours each year to training in the classroom, in the field, and on missions.

Our K9 teams work in four disciplines: Area Search, Evidence, Human Remains Detection, and Tracking/Trailing. Most of the teams work in two disciplines, in both wilderness and urban/suburban areas. This expands our resources to aid the public.

The Area Search K9s are invaluable in assisting lost or deceased persons primarily in a wilderness setting, especially if the person is unable to respond. They work off-leash and are trained to follow the scent of a human to locate them. Evidence dogs are trained to find either items belonging to a specific person, or specific items, such as gun casings or a phone. They are not trained to find illegal substances. The Tracking/Trailing dogs will follow the trail of scent left behind by a human and is useful in determining the direction of travel a person went from the point they were last seen. The Human Remains Detection dogs are trained to find persons who are deceased.

All of the dogs are personally owned and trained by their owner/handler, and the volunteer handlers pay for all vet bills and food. The handlers also pay for testing their canines, gas, and accommodation related to their work.

The Handlers are all nationally certified in NASAR SARTEC II, which covers multiple fields, including wilderness first aid, navigation, communication and technology, tracking, and basic crime scene protocol and management. The Handlers meet FEMA requirements for Emergency Management and have the Amateur Radio License (ham radio) from the FCC. Their training, testing, and certification are ongoing.