SAR Dog News Published by the National Search Dog Alliance March/April 2017 Vol. 11, No. 2 Article page Article page BOD Meeting Date 1 NSDA’s Financial Statement 22 NSDA Certifications in El Salvador 2 Scenarios Seminar Flyer 23 2017 Hero Dog Awards 4 Podcasts 4 Law update: The Johnson Ammendment 5 2017 Board Meeting Dates Law update: Divorce – Who Gets the Dog 6 Woman’s Defence Against Allergy 6 March 2; April 6; May 4; June 1 NSDA Upcoming Tests & Seminars 7 NSDA Certifications 9 Contact Secretary, Sue Wolff, at Free Eye Exams for Service Animals 10 [email protected] for the call in number Bloodhounds in the Military 11 for the meetings Rescued Sheepdog puppies 12 Dog Finds Home with SAR Team 13 30 Most Talented Dog Breeds 14 Grief for Lost Dog Motivates Volunteer 14 Indiana SAR Dogs Kids Program 15 Search and Rescue Cats 16 Bucky Says: Dogs, chimps & 2 year olds 17 Kibbles and Bits – Aggression 18 Whoever said you can't buy Dogs Search for Red Panda 20 Happiness forgot little NSDA Board of Directors 20 puppies. The Last Howl 21 SAR DOG NEWS March/April 2017 Page 2 NSDA EXPANDS CERTIFICATIONS INTO EL SALVADOR by Robert Noziska In August 2016 the country of El Salvador, through the Department of States’ International Narcotics Law Enforcement Bureau, requested support from the United States Border Patrol (USBP), Special Operations Group (SOG) to conduct a Human Remains Detection (HRD) Handler/Instructor course for the El Salvadorian Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), El Salvador’s Federal Police. As requested, SOG deployed three BORSTAR HRD Canine Instructors who were fluent in Spanish and had HRD instructional and operational experience. Border Patrol Agents from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Special Operations Detachment and from SOG/Border Patrol Search, Trauma, & Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit deployed to San Salvador, El Salvador. After arriving in-country, HRD Instructors had to travel and assess numerous areas on the outskirts of San Salvador for training venues to include rubble piles, large open fields for area and buried searches, and lakes/shorelines for submerged boat searches. These venues would be used throughout the course as well as for maintenance training and yearly re- certifications. This in itself proved to be challenging due to the mountainous jungle environment and the potential of running into Transnational Criminal Organization elements that operate in the area. Once all training sites were surveyed for both safety and training suitability, the course got underway. The training of these canines presented unique situations due to the particular breed of dog used by the PNC. German Short-hair Pointers (GSP) were used, due to availability, instead ofthe traditional German Shepherds (GSD) or Belgian Malinois (BM) typically utilized in detection canine work. Because the critical drives for detection work of the GSP’s are significantly different than these other breeds, the HRD Instructors were challenged to use their diagnostic and problem solving skills to develop non- traditional training techniques to which these canines would be receptive. These skills and non- traditional methods were used throughout the entire training timeline from odor introduction/initial imprinting, reward object selection, drive build-up exercises, to the actual water search training for submerged human remains. During the course and between training HRD Instructors advised and assisted in establishing a sustainable, organic, formal training program to be maintained by the Government of El Salvador. This program will serve as a future model for HRD training in Central America. SAR DOG NEWS March/April 2017 Page 3 After 10 full weeks of facing both venue and canine drive related challenges, the HRD Instructors were able to successfully graduate the first two Customs and Border Protection certified HRD Handlers/Instructors not only in El Salvador but in all of Central America. This was also the first time that any canine team outside of the United States has been certified under the umbrella of the National Search Dog Alliance in HRD. These two new canine teams are expected to be extremely busy throughout the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Most of their requests for the HRD discipline will be used in the location of clandestine gravesites utilized by Transnational Criminal Organizations, Drug Trafficking Organizations, and organized criminal gangs. The remains located will be used as evidence for prosecution in criminal cases as well as to give closure to numerous families of homicide victims throughout Central America. 2017 HERO DOG AWARDS Nominations for the 2017 American Humane Hero Dog Awards® closed on March 8, 2017. NSDA is participating again this year as a charity partner. Voting will begin soon so check at www.herodogawards.org If a nominated dog is NSDA’s charity partner and they win their category, the American Humane Association will donate $2,500 to the Alliance. If the nominated dog goes on to win the entire competition, NSDA will win an additional Hooch - 2016 winner Emerging Hero Category $5,000! SAR DOG NEWS March/April 2017 Page 4 You can listen (and subscribe) to the Search Dog PODCAST through iTunes and also find the PODCAST on Podbean at www.saroc.podbean.com. Please send questions, feedback and suggestions to [email protected] And the PODCASTS stay up indefinitely. Stay tuned. NSDA PODCASTS Eva Briggs This month’s Podcast features an interview with K.T. Irwin about scenarios training. K.T. has been a member of Northwest K9 Search Park County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and Recovery and Park County, Wyoming Unit (PCSAR) Search and Rescue and a Certified K9 Handler since 1998. Since then, she has trained and deployed seven search dogs to locate missing people: Labs, Border Collies, German Shepherds and one bloodhound. She has worked with many master trainers in all canine disciplines and is a Principal Evaluator The purpose of Park County Sheriff’s Office Search for the National Search Dog Alliance and Tri- and Rescue Unit (PCSAR) is to organize for, plan for, State K9 Organization. She teaches seminars in train for, maintain equipment for, and respond to human remains detection on land and in water incidents requiring search and rescue assistance as as well as case-based workshops, Scenarios, requested, directed, and authorized by the Sheriff which challenge handlers in search strategy, of Park County, Wyoming. This is accomplished in navigation, reading canine body language and three ways: clue awareness utilizing the search disciplines of mantrailing, cadaver, airscent and evidence. 1) By identifying hazardous areas, activities or situations and assisting in education of the K.T. has worked cases for city police public about these hazards and ways to avoid departments, county sheriff departments, the or minimize them thereby eliminating or Department of Criminal Investigation, the minimizing the hazards if practical; Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau 2) By training all PCSAR team members in basic of Indian Affairs. In 2011, she successfully search and rescue skills and training special worked with the Wyoming Legislature to pass teams for more technically demanding the first bill in the country legalizing the emergencies; and possession of human remains for the training of 3) By responding to calls for assistance in search and recovery dogs by certified searching for lost or missing persons and handlers. Since then, Utah, Texas and rescuing persons in distress within the training Louisiana have passed similar bills and and performance capabilities of the members. Washington and Montana are in the process for passing their legislation in 2018. SAR DOG NEWS March/April 2017 Page 5 We would be able to campaign for candidates THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT at all levels of government who are What it means to 501(c)(3) supportive of our mission and would push for organizations legislation sympathetic to our cause. We, as By Sue Wolff smaller entities, could have more influence on federal regulations effecting disaster At the National Prayer Breakfast in responses and how monies are dispensed for February, President Trump announced, those actions. “I will get rid of, and totally destroy, the Johnson Amendment and allow our While the repeal may be directed at churches representatives of faith to speak freely and religions, all 501(c)(3) organizations will and without fear of retribution.” be effected. For the sake of our monetary income based on charitable deductions and Introduced in 1954 by then Senator, and our legislative standing, it would benefit all later president, Lyndon B. Johnson, the SAR organizations to keep track of the Johnson Amendment explicitly prohibits progress of this potential repeal. 501(c)(3) organizations (including churches) Source: Guidestar.org from engaging in partisan political activity. Although 501(c)(3) organizations may engage in a certain amount of issues advocacy, they must stop short of actively endorsing or financially supporting a particular candidate or a particular political party. This restriction applies almost exclusively to charitable nonprofits. It is deemed to ensure that charities remain a nonpartisan haven, separate from politics, in civil society Even though the President’s statement is aimed mainly at churches, what could this mean to NSDA and all SAR teams who hold a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS? There is thought that, along with the repeal of the Amendment, the charitable deduction may be eliminated or altered. Congress is seeking ways to increase revenue without raising taxes. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the deduction for charitable contributions costs about $50 billion a year in terms of money that does not HAPPY ST. PATRICK DAY go into the U.S. Treasury. However there is a bright side for SAR to this possible repeal. While SAR organizations cannot now lobby for bills protecting our K- 9s, we could without the Johnson Amendment in place.