Finding a Way to Help

For this month's Search & Rescue spotlight, we spoke with K9 Search and Rescue handler, Anne Rodriguez, about what inspired her to enter the world of canine Search & Rescue and the Dutch Shepherd by her side, Espen.

Anne's journey into Search & Rescue began in the early 2010s after several drownings in Michigan waterways left families waiting weeks—and sometimes months—for answers. Wanting to make a meaningful difference, she began researching Search & Rescue and soon discovered that she could volunteer alongside a canine partner.

Drawn to the opportunity to serve her community while combining her love of the outdoors and working dogs, Anne began searching for the right breed. After growing up with German Shepherds and owning them throughout her life, she wanted a dog with the drive required for SAR while being a more manageable size. That search eventually led her to the Dutch Shepherd, a breed whose working ability and ability to settle when needed made it the perfect fit.

Meet Espen

After extensive research on the breed of Dutch Shepherds, Anne found Espen and she made the trip to Texas to bring her home in late 2019.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic delayed team training, Anne spent Espen's first year building a strong foundation. Even as a young puppy, Espen stood out for her remarkable intelligence, earning her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title before she was a year old. While Anne's previous dogs relied heavily on handler direction, she says Espen naturally understood concepts once given the framework, making training both exciting and incredibly rewarding.

In August 2020, Anne and Espen officially began training with a Michigan Search & Rescue team. Although Anne had originally hoped to work in human remains detection, the team started young dogs in air scent area search, locating live subjects. Because their area search dogs are also cross-trained to detect large-source human remains, Espen developed the versatility to respond to deployments where the outcome is unknown. Together, Anne and Espen earned their National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA) certification in October 2024.

Serving the Community Together

For Anne, one of the most rewarding aspects of Search & Rescue extends far beyond working with her own dog. "SAR isn't a me sport.", she told us. 

She explained that every mission depends on teamwork, with handlers supporting one another while working toward the shared goal of helping families and their communities. Whether assisting teammates during training or responding to real-world searches, every member contributes their time, knowledge, and dedication as a volunteer.

Anne also hopes more people realize that most Search & Rescue organizations throughout North America are entirely volunteer-based. Handlers invest their own time and resources into training, equipment, and canine care while remaining ready to assist law enforcement and emergency services whenever they're needed.

She also believes greater awareness of specialized SAR canine teams would benefit both communities and first responders. Different dogs are trained for different disciplines, whether it's wide-area air scent searches, scent-specific trailing, or water recovery. Understanding these capabilities allows agencies to deploy the right resource for the right situation while helping reduce risk for everyone involved.

Keeping a Working Dog Ready

Preparing a Search & Rescue dog requires year-round conditioning that evolves with both the seasons and the dog's individual needs.

Before Espen's injury, their routine centered around regular hiking and stamina-building walks several times each week, along with daily conditioning exercises designed to strengthen muscle groups that everyday walks don't typically target. During Michigan's harsh winters or stretches of extreme summer heat and humidity, those conditioning exercises become even more important when spending long periods outdoors may not be safe.

Training is carefully balanced with recovery, including weekly evening team practices and monthly team training sessions, ensuring Espen has adequate time to rest between demanding work.

That recovery became especially important after Espen suffered the uncommon injury of tearing her patellar tendon. Following surgery, she spent months in an external fixator while the tendon healed, resulting in significant muscle loss in the affected leg. Once the device was removed, rehabilitation became the primary focus through prescribed physical therapy exercises and a gradual return to conditioning.

By the time of her final rehabilitation appointment in March, the difference in muscle mass between Espen's legs had been reduced to just half a centimeter—a remarkable recovery after such a serious injury.

Supporting Recovery with MYOS

As Espen transitioned into rehabilitation, Anne worked closely with her certified veterinary rehabilitation specialist to reevaluate her supplement routine. Based on their recommendation, she transitioned Espen to MYOS to support her recovery alongside her rehabilitation program.

While the prescribed exercises remained the foundation of Espen's progress, Anne believes MYOS helped her retain more muscle during the healing process while supporting a quicker return to conditioning.

Today, MYOS remains part of Espen's conditioning and recovery routine as she continues preparing for the physical demands of Search & Rescue. Anne shared that several of her teammates have also started using MYOS with their own working dogs.

Committed to the Community

Volunteer Search & Rescue handlers dedicate countless hours to training, conditioning, and responding whenever their communities need them. Alongside remarkable dogs like Espen, they provide an invaluable resource that helps bring answers, hope, and closure to families during some of life's most difficult moments.

We are grateful to Anne Rodriguez for sharing her story with us and for the dedication she and Espen continue to show both in training and in service to their community. If you are interested in supporting the field of K9 Search and Rescue, consider looking into how you can support your local search and rescue team!