The K-9 unit of Shawn Hornbeck Search and Rescue Team (SHSAR) specilizes in two main aspects of K-9 Search and Rescue, trailing and cadaver searches. We have K-9's that are trained and evaluated and available to trail in incliment weather on multiple surface conditions, as well as cadaver scent. Our team is activated immediately upon notification of a missing person, or when requested by law enforcement or the family of the missing person with permission of law enforcement.
Our team's main focus is with Trailing K-9's as most searches that we are involved with needs this type of a K-9 resource. We have several K-9 teams ready to go at different experience levels to allow for different teams to be called out depending on the type of search. We are always working with newer dogs/handlers to get them trained so we can always have dogs ready to go. We also have a few K-9 teams that have specalized in Human Remains Detection ( HRD ) and train individualy on this dicipline. Our handlers that train their HRD dogs also work water problems as this is a common situation in Missouri and Illinois with numerous rivers and lakes.
Our team evaluations either meet or exceed most teams requirements of their K-9 evaluations, so we are sure that our K-9's are highly trained and ready to go on any type of search. We constantly train our dogs so they are always ready for a callout and we re-evaluate ALL of our K-9's and handlers either every year for our lower level teams, or every other year for our higher Level III teams. This ensures that these teams are continuing to train and retain proficiency in their respected dicipline.
SHSAR K-9 is equiped and prepared to conduct search operations day or night in any weather condition, and carry enough supplies to sustain our team and K-9's for a minimum of 48 hours ( usually 72 or more ). This ensures that if we are called out, we will not be a burden to any other team or supplies.
