Buckeye Search and Rescue Dogs

We are saddened to announce the passing of retired BSARD K9 Ruby. Ruby was active from 2016 to 2022 and certified in land HRD and trailing. Our thoughts and condolences are with Ruby's handler Jeff and his family, as well as Ruby's son Cash.

It is with heavy hearts that we learned this morning of the passing of retired K9 Auggie at age 14. Auggington worked the great majority of his career with Coos County SAR in Oregon, where he was certified in live-find area, as well as land and water HRD. He worked the 2018 Paradise, CA fire and the 2020 Phoenix, OR fire, and after handler Jeanette relocated to Cincinnati he certified as a land HRD K9 with BSARD until his retirement in 2023. He will be greatly missed by all of us, and we send our condolences to handler Jeanette as well as K9's Jolene and Re*****on.

We are sad to announce the passing of retired BSARD K9 Kaia at age 14. Kaia was a Lab/Border Collie mix, and "Honey Badger" (as she was known because of her attitude) served from 2011 to 2023, maintaining IPWDA certification in mantrailing and land human-remains-detection, and for several years in water human-remains detection. She will be greatly missed by handler Brian and K9 Lily, who learned the tricks of the trade from her.

The Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams 2025 IPWDA certification weekend is in the books! Congratulations to the following BSARD handler/K9 teams:

Scott and K9 Zeke - Land Human Remains Detection (recertification)
Jeanette and K9 Jolene - Area Search (recertification)
Teresa and K9 Sagan - Land Human Remains Detection (new certification!)
Kris and K9 Echo - Land Human Remains Detection (new certification!)
Jeanette and K9 Remi - Land Human Remains Detection (new certification!)
Jeanette and K9 Jolene - Water Human Remains Detection (recertification)
Brian and K9 Lily - Water Human Remains Detection (recertification)
Gloria and K9 Finley - Water Human Remains Detection (recertification)
Scott and K9 Zeke - Water Human Remains Detection (recertification)

We are proud of these handlers and their dogs for all the hard work they put in to achieve and maintain these high levels of performance. Many thanks to Matt Zarrella, James Rawley, Jeremy Pell, Amy Machinski, and Becky Stocker for being evaluators, as well as the many folks who chipped in in various ways to make this weekend happen. See you next year!

Congratulations to another newly-certified K9 team! Veteran handler Teresa and K9 Sagan (curly-coated retriever) successfully passed IPWDA certification for land human remains detection. We look forward to lots of good work from these two!

A special congratulations to two NEW BSARD K9 teams for passing their first IPWDA land HRD certifications today! New handler Kris and K9 Echo (GSD), and veteran handler Jeanette and K9 Re*****on (yellow Lab "Remi"). Fun fact: Remi is the son of BSARD K9 Jolene (certified in land and water HRD, mantrailing, and area search!). Great work, and we are thrilled for all of you!