Brookfield search-and-rescue dog teams help agencies find people

By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS

sphillips@vindy.com

BROOKFIELD

Kathy Ferrara and Chris Gantler had careers as teachers before retirement.

Now, they spend their time training for and conducting search-and-rescue missions with their German Shepherds.

These women are the volunteer dog handlers for K-9 S.O.S. (Searching Out Scent), a nonprofit search-and-rescue team based in Brookfield. Becca Johnson and Cody Corcoran, both firefighters in nearby Clark, Pa., are field support members.

“I’m a people person and a dog person. I’ve had German Shepherds my whole life,” Ferrara said. “This seemed like a good way to do community service.”

The team is contacted by police and fire departments and agencies including the FBI, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers. Ferrara’s dog, Lucia and Gantler’s dog, Nina, are trained for finding both the living and the dead. Ferrera's second dog E.J. is trained for cadaver searches.

“They love their job,” Ferrara said. “They’re high drive and motivated to work.”

The three 6-year-old German Shepherds are siblings.

The dogs are trained to track people and find remains in both land and water. They can also track scents underground, under rubble and in vehicles and buildings.

Ferrara, who has been volunteering for dog search-and-rescue teams for about 20 years, said she loves it, even when there is a sad outcome. Gantler has been volunteering with K-9 S.O.S. for about seven years.

“You want peace of mind for the families,” Ferrara said. “The not knowing is worse than knowing.”

Her dogs, including the two she had before Lucia and E.J., have had several “finds” over the years.

The amount of calls the team gets varies, but typically it receives 12 to 15 calls annually. Ferrara said there have been rewarding moments, such as finding a missing teenage boy and getting to see him reunite with his family.

Brookfield Police Chief Dan Faustino said it’s helpful having a local team, and it has assisted the department in several cases, such as finding remains after a fire.

When they aren’t working, the team is training a few times a week, and renews certification annually – which can be arduous and expensive. Funding for certification and insurance comes out-of-pocket or through fundraisers and donations.

The handlers are certified by organizations including the International Police Work Dog Association, North American Police Work Dog Association and the National Association for Search and Rescue. The dogs have completed several behavioral and search-and-rescue courses.

The dogs, unlike police dogs, are not trained to find bombs, drugs or to pursue criminals. They are not trained to attack, and the handlers don’t carry weapons.

“We don’t look for people who are hiding and might hurt somebody; we don’t look for people who are armed,” Ferrara said.

For live find training, Johnson and Corcoran will hide, and the dogs must track their scent through several acres. For cadaver training, Ferrara and Johnson will hide materials, such as teeth or blood.

The dogs get a special chew toy when they are successful.