Volunteer rescue team tracks down elderly AWOL pug in Rose Hill

November 19
Director Fuller teaches class at USCB on K9 Search and Rescue. Students gave such a positive response that course will now be taught every quarter at multiple locations. Course was an informative type session, explaining how K9 SAR dogs are trained and deployed, and personal experiences during searches.
Classes are taught at Osher Lifelong Learning Center

December 13
Girl Scout Troop 368 Presentation

USAR gave a presentation the Girl Scouts of Troop 368.  We explained how SAR dogs are trained, how they are deployed, and all the education the handler has to learn.  We gave them safety tips for use in everyday life, and what to do if lost in the woods. 

Also present was Charlotte Wamser of Friends Of Bluffton Park.  She told how others and herself are raising funds to build a public Bark Park in Bluffton for our canine friends. 

Charlotte also showed how her K9 partner Mona is being trained to work as an assistance dog for her. 

The young ladies asked some really good questions and afterwards they treated us to pizza, Girl Scout cookies, cards, and a gas card to help us in our future missions.  We had a great time with the girls of 368.

The next day, the girls came out to our training site and hid for the K9's.  I think they were disappointed that the dogs found them so fast.  We all had a really great weekend.

Thanks Girls!!

December 23
A call was received at 7pm, woman in tears stated that her young daughter's dog had run out the door and was missing. Daughter was devastated. USAR deployed 2 K9's and Handlers, one team was Chas Perry and K9 Sassy. This was K9 Sassy's first real life tracking scenario.. Sassy tracked missing dog "Disney" to an office area off Hwy. 278 in Bluffton. Track was verified by K9 Dixie.  It was apparent that the missing dog was still in the area, but we were unable to locate. Advised owners to cover the area with missing flyers so that when people came to work in the morning they would see them.

At 8:30am the following morning a phone call was received stating that "Disney" had been picked up and when the person saw the flyer, they called owners and re-united "Disney" with the daughter. K9 Sassy performed flawlessly and it enabled us to give the young lady a really nice Christmas present, the return of her best friend "Disney".  The following evening we returned to meet "missing dog" and to take pictures and as we were leaving the young lady stopped us and gave us each a big hug and a thank you. It doesn't get any better than this. This is why we do what we do.

December 24th
USAR was called and notified of a missing child in Woodlake Villas on Hilton Head Island. USAR had a unit nearby and they were on scene in several minutes. After speaking with Beaufort County Sheriff's Office deputies, a scent article and picture were collected. Phone calls were made to alert available Handlers of call and 4 other K9 teams were responding. K9 Dixie was scented and off she went working the track. Track took Dixie thru complex towards the back area of the housing complex. 5 minutes after starting the track we were able to hand over the missing child to parents and deputies. It was later determined that child was not endangered. Responding units were; Al Conner and K9 Wolfie, Asst. Director Nancy Blanchard and K9 Grady, Terry Smith and K9 Cedar, Chas Perry and K9 Sassy, K9 Handler Gage Angle. Thru teamwork between BCSO and USAR what could have been a tragic event had a happy ending. What a great Christmas present for us, a successful recovery of a missing child!