Northwest K9 Search and Recovery

Handler Bios

Northwest K-9 is an organization that trains dogs to find missing people, guns, evidence and human remains.

** K.T. Irwin ** K.T. Irwin is a certified handler located in Cody, Wyoming and has been training dogs since 1998. K.T. is an experienced searcher and specializes in Mantrailing and Cadaver. She has two operational search dogs and one in training: Nia, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Certified in Evidence and Land Cadaver Recovery and Water Cadaver Recovery. Indy, a Bloodhound, Mantrailer - Retired. Willa, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever is presently certified in Land Cadaver, Water Cadaver Recovery, and Wilderness Airscent Blue, Border Collie, certified in Land Cadaver & Water Cadaver, presently training in Wilderness Airscent and Mantrailing. K.T. can be reached at 307-587-7761, 307-272-0743 or leonberg@tctwest.net.	** Laurie Robinson ** Laurie Robinson is a EMT and Certified K9 Handler with a SARTECH II Certification from NASAR. She has two Labrador Retrievers: Brody: Certified in Area Search, Land Cadaver & Water Cadaver Recovery Abbie: Land Cadaver & Water Cadaver Recovery Laurie is located near Elko, Nevada. If you need a search dog team in that area, please contact Laurie at 775-815-8718 or e-mail her at robinsonlaurie@hotmail.com. Photo: Laurie Robinson with Brody
** Melanie Gothard ** Melanie Gothard is a Certified NASAR SARTECH II, C.E.R.T. team member, and Reserve Deputy Sheriff in Laramie County, Wyoming. She has been involved in search and rescue since 1999, and training canine units since 2001. She has 2 search dogs. Duke: Bloodhound, Certified in Mantrailing and Land Cadaver. (Retired 2010) Max: Weimaraner, Land Cadaver, Area Search, Trailing and Certified in Water Cadaver Recovery. Melanie is located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and can be reached at 307-630-5373.	**Yvette Whitaker** Yvette Whitaker is a climber and mountaineer and member of Park County Search & Rescue. Yvette is located in Cody, Wyoming. She’s trained in GPS and Map & Compass Navigation, Rope Rescue, Helicopter Ops and Patient Packaging. She has current certifications in First Aid and CPR. She has completed NIMS ICS 200 and Search Management classes and is working toward certification as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. Her German Shepherd, Atticus, is training for Wilderness Airscent certification.
**Joe Hurlburt** Joe Hurlburt is a certified Firefighter and EMT with the Teton County Idaho Fire Protection District and a Professional Ski Patroller with Level II Avalanche certification. A member of the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association(CARDA), he has been involved with Search and Rescue since 1999 and a dog handler since 2006. Volkl is a German Shepherd certified in Avalanche Search, Wilderness Search, Building Search, Land Cadaver Search and Water Cadaver Search. They live in Driggs, Idaho and can be reached at 208-399-2226. Photo: Top of Whistler Mtn. BC, Canada at the 2009 CARDA winter course	**Deb Hurlburt** Deb Hurlburt was state orienteering champ in Missouri for three years in the mid 80s. She became a member of the National Ski Patrol in 1993 and a professional ski patroller in 1999. She was a professional raft guide in the southeast and Wyoming, a professional back packing guide in the Grand Tetons and started volunteering in Search and Rescue in 1999. She has a explosive handlers license, Swift Water Tech Level 1, -SAR Tech Level 1, a degree in psychology, philosophy minor in religion from St. Louis University and works in critical incident stress management thorough her volunteer work at the Family Safety Network. She began helping other handlers to train avalanche dogs in 1999. Kaya is a German Sherpherd and certified in Avalanche, Land and Water Cadaver.
**Cori Wolff** Cori Wolff is an artist and serves as a public safety dive tender with US Water Rescue Dive Team. Cori is located in Billings, Montana. She is currently an open water diver and is working toward certification as a public safety diver. She is also a Registered Veterinary Technician. She handles a German Shepherd named Angus and is presently training in Land and Water Cadaver.

Indy, Willa and Nia

Brody working a cadaver problem.

Max

Indy, Willa and Nia

Abby working a cadaver problem.

Mel and Max Trailing

Water Cadaver K9 Nia of Northwest K-9 Search and Recovery. This dog likes to search with her nose skimming the water if possible.

Abby working a cadaver problem.

Mel and Max Water Search

Brody

Joe and Volkl outside the Grand

Targhee Ski Patrol top shack

Abby

Volkl being rewarded with his toy

after working a cadaver problem

Nia alerting on a pioneer grave dated 1867 near the Mormon and Oregon Trails, Wyoming

Volkl on a cadaver search

Jackson Hole, WY

Kaya alerting to a simulated "live"

Yvette

Willa alerting on a pioneer grave dated 1867 near the Mormon and Oregon Trails, Wyoming

West Yellowstone

Yvette Ice Climbing

Blue -- Certified in Land Cadaver & Water Cadaver, training in Wilderness Airscent and Mantrailing

Yvette

Deb & Kaya

**** Ziggy & Howie Wigert ****

In Memory of Ziggy, Felony Tracking Canine, Montana State Prison

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All of Northwest K-9's handlers are also certified in Navigation by Map and Compass, GPS, Search Strategy, Crime Scene Preservation, Wilderness Survival Skills, Incident Command System, CPR/First Aid and K-9 First Aid.