K9 Search Unit

The Team’s K9’s are an indispensable part of Search and Rescue Operations & saving lives. Handlers invest a great deal of time, money & effort into training these furry heroes. Initial training to meet the rigorous standards of CARDA & CAL OES in one or more disciplines before becoming “Mission Ready” (certified), can take up to three years.

Meet Our K9 Team and Their Handlers

A search and rescue worker in a helmet and safety gear stands on rubble alongside a dog wearing a vest. The background features damaged structures and hills.

K9: Ember

Discipline: Air Scent / Area

Status: Mission Ready

Handler: Anne Marie Cullen

Black and white dog sitting among rocks and greenery outdoors on a sunny day.

K9: Keagan

Discipline: Trailing & HRD

Status: Retired

Handler: Shirley Smith

Person sitting on the ground outdoors with a black and white dog in front, hiking gear and green collapsible bowl nearby, dry grass setting.

K9: Miko

Discipline: Air Scent / Area

Status: Mission Ready

Handler: Kerrie Valdiviezo

A person training a brown dog in a grassy field, with mountains and trees in the background.

K9: Nala

Discipline: HRD

Status: Mission Ready

Handler: Anne Marie Cullen

Black and white dog with red harness lying on a car seat.

K9: Pneumo

Discipline: HRD

Status: Mission Ready

Handler: Juanita Smith

Brindle dog lying on grass, looking at the camera.

K9: Riley

Discipline: HRD

Status: Mission Ready

Handler: Anne Marie Cullen

German Shepherd wearing a blue harness sitting inside a helicopter hangar with a helicopter in the background.

K9: Zara

Discipline: Trailing

Status: In Training

Handler: Jill Hall

California Rescue Dog Association Certification

The use of dogs as a search tool has significantly enhanced SBCSAR's ability to find lost or missing persons. The dogs are trained in at least one of three disciplines: Area Search, Trailing, and Human Remains Detection (HRD). The K9 Unit is certified in all disciplines by the California Rescue Dog Association.