Meet Michelle and her incredible K9 partner, Quinn—a dynamic duo in the world of K9 search and rescue. Michelle and Quinn have become a beacon of hope in critical situations, tirelessly working to locate missing persons and bring closure to families who need it most. Keep reading to learn more about this amazing search and rescue duo and the world of search and rescue K9's.
A search-and-rescue dog is a highly trained dog who can respond to emergency situations. These dogs can do trailing, which is following the route a person has taken by following the unique smell of the search subject, as well as working in HRD (Human Remains Detection) to locate human remains, and also being Area dogs, which is when they can range away from their handlers to search large areas in the wilderness and return to their handlers to alert if they have found someone.
One of the amazing Search and Rescue K9 handlers we had the pleasure of talking with is Michelle, a retired police officer who volunteers as a search and rescue handler with her incredible K9 Quinn. K9 Quinn is six years old and is trained in HRD and trailing.
Michelle told us that volunteering as a SAR K9 handler can bring long days for her and K9 Quinn, along with lots of traveling to different locations for training and deployments. The two main tasks Quinn does are HRD and trailing, and these searches can be up to several hours long. Michelle told us that the best types of exercise to keep Quinn prepared for search and rescue is endurance-based, such as long walks, sprint work, hiking, and environmental training, such as walking in different terrain, tight places, crossing rivers, and more.
Michelle told us that the most rewarding part of volunteering as a SAR K9 handler is being able to help people, give back to the community, and bring happy endings or closure to families in need. Michelle also enjoys working with K9s and being prepared for situations where people need their help.
Michelle gives MYOS to Quinn to help her build muscle mass, support her joints, and prevent muscle atrophy, especially during any time off from training. She also uses MYOS for 10.5 year old retired police dog to keep his muscle mass, reduce muscle atrophy, and keep his good weight on.
Doing public relations & education regarding SAR, especially with kids, is something SAR K9 handlers do frequently. This can include attending community events, speaking at colleges, and talking with children about what to do if they get lost in the wilderness and how the dogs' uniform identifies them as a SAR dog looking to find them to ensure they won't be frightened by the dog.
Michelle and Quinn are one of the incredible SAR K9 duos who have a remarkable dedication to helping those in need. Their bond, hard work, and vigorous training allow them to save lives and bring closure to families in need, while also educating the community on their incredible field. Here at MYOS, we are beyond pleased to provide a supplement to help keep these amazing dogs at their best and be able to connect with such amazing SAR K9 Handlers.
