Area K-9 Search Units Receive Certifications

JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Pine Creek K-9 Search Unit certified four man-trailing dogs through the International Bloodhound Training Institute (INBTI). Additionally, Madera K-9 Search and Rescue Team, based out of Clearfield County, certified four of its dogs in search and rescue on October 16.

(Pictured above, left to right: Trudy Garvey and K-9s Delilah and Jake, Carlee Hidinger and K-9 Moses and Heather Dimmick with K-9 Karma.)

Pine Creek K-9 Search Unit members Heather Dimmick and K-9 Karma (Clearfield) and Carlee Hidinger and K-9 Moses (Brockway) each received new certifications in man-trailing. Trudy Garvey and K-9s Delilah and Jake (Brookville) received man-trailing recertifications.

The unit had a training and testing seminar from October 20 to October 23 across Jefferson and Clearfield Counties where each K-9 team was tested in its man-trailing skills by two INBTI trainers from Long Island.

Dimmick, secretary at Pine Creek K-9 Search Unit, said the certifications were a big step for the 12-dog unit, which also had two cadaver dogs recently certified in Seymour, Indiana.

“[Certifying the dogs] instills trust in the community that what we’re doing is legitimate, so they can trust that when we get called out we know what we’re doing,” Dimmick said.

The unit now has four certified man-trailing dogs, two certified cadaver dogs, air scent dogs, and numerous puppies in training.

Pine Creek K-9 Search Unit is an all volunteer K-9 search team based out of Jefferson County, Pa. They cover the Northwest Central region of Pennsylvania and will assist statewide and nationwide by official request.

Madera Station 25 Clearfield County’s K-9 Search and Rescue Team certified four of its ten dogs in Curwensville Lake on October 16. The dogs were professionally certified in the State of Pennsylvania as Search and Rescue K-9s.

Receiving certification through St. Mary’s Top Dog University, the dogs are crossed trained in K-9 scent detection, K-9 drug detection and K-9 personal protection.

From left to right: Madera Staion Search and Rescue members Marissa Cunningham, Ben Kleinman and K-9 Mousse, Ava Powers and K-9 Apollo, Butch Mann and K-9 Zena and Tricia Rittenhouse and K-9 Zeus. The dogs were certified in search and rescue on October 16.

Tricia Rittenhouse, a Madera Station Search and Rescue Unit trainer, said certifying the dogs takes the unit one step further in helping Clearfield and surrounding counties.

“We’re here to help,” said Rittenhouse. “We work with the fire company to utilize anything we need, and our unit is a good asset in case we’re needed.”

The unit’s K-9s are also on the National Registry for Service Dogs.

Madera Station Search and Rescue offers a multi-county task force with K-9s in Clearfield, Jefferson, Elk, and Cambria Counties, which are available through each county’s 911 center. Demonstrations can be scheduled by calling 814-378-8744.