A Call to Duty by Harry Oakes

A CALL TO DUTY

A biography of one of the top search dogs in the World, Search Dog "RANGER". His motto was "Anytime, anywhere, around the world, So Others May Live."



"A Call To Duty" is a touching story about a search and rescue dog named Ranger that performed search and rescue around the world. This story is written through his eyes. RANGER is a highly respected and honored K-9 partner who was trained in all phases of search and rescue. This book is dedicated in loving memory of Search Dog Ranger. It will make you laugh, cry, and totally disgusted with the egos and politics in search and rescue that has cost so many lives.

Written by his handler and loving partner, Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr.

International K-9 Search & Rescue Services. P.O. Box# 1472 Longview, Washington 98632 USA. Office (360) 414-8093 Web: www.k9sardog.com Email: harry98632@yahoo.com or searchdog@iinet.com

In Loving memory of SAR Dog Ranger. May he rest in peace, and know that he is loved and missed, by all whose lives he touched. A gentle giant that gave his love to everyone. His work, his memory, and the many lives he saved, will live on in Search and Rescue history for eternity. God Bless You Ranger, you helped me through the good times and the bad. You are a true gift from God.

This book is dedicated to Ranger, and my human son, Brandon, who has had to get up with me during all hours of the night also, so we could respond to the calls for help around the world.




This book is also dedicated to my friends from Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs: Search, Rescue, Recovery, Silver Star Search and Rescue, and Cowlitz County Search and Rescue who risk their lives every day and night in all kinds of weather to help save lives in the Northwest. Like thousands of other searchers, we volunteer our skills and take time off work, and away from our loved ones, to help our fellow man. The dedication of volunteers around the world in search and rescue is commendable.

In MEMORY of NATHAN MADSEN. May he rest in peace and know that we tried to save him, but were stopped by EGO's and POLITICS.

In MEMORY of Derrick Engebretson. May he rest in peace and know that we tried to save him, but 10 years later, after the Madsen case, the same sheriff learned absolutely nothing from his costly mistakes, and cost another child his life. May God have mercy on your soul.

HARRY AND BRANDON SAVE RANGER'S LIFE
I started in SAR (Search and Rescue) when my handler came to the dog pound to save me from a certain death in the "gas chamber". I was four months old at the time. It all started about a week before, when I had wandered off away from my mom and got lost. I walked the city streets of Portland, Oregon, cold, wet, hungry, tired, and scared. This woman in a uniform picked me up, gave me a hug, and the next thing I know, WHAM, I'm in the SLAM, awaiting the fate of most dogs wandering the streets.

I am sitting around the SLAM (dog word for dog pound), when I looked through the wired fence, and I see this tall guy come in with his son. He looked directly at me, then all my other friends. When he came back to me, I wagged my tail, whined, and barked, "Hey, you up there, take me out of here, PLEASE. The food leaves a lot to be desired." He looked deep into my eyes and both he and his son petted me and hugged me. It was love at first sight, they fell for my big brown eyes.

If I had known what the tall one had in mind for us as a team, I would have pooped right there on the floor. The first few months were difficult. Do you know how hard it is to train two humans? First, we argued about the basics, like where I have to go "potty". I just can't understand it. In the wild I went on the trees, isn't that what dogs are suppose to do? Well, chairs are made of wood, you would think they are the same thing. My handler did not agree.

We then argued over bathing habits. I wanted to bathe myself, but the tall one insisted on putting me in this cold sink, he poured this smelly shampoo all over me. Then he sprayed me with water and said, "Now, you are clean." I showed him. I shook water all over him and the sink area and said, "Now you are wet."

I am such a dog. I found some real interesting chew toys. Telephones are edible, but a little salty. Harry’s shoes left a bad taste in my mouth and gave me gas.
Car seats are really fun, but what I enjoyed the most was Harry's package of gum he left in his truck. If he is dumb enough to leave it out, then I get to play magician and make it disappear.

Well, enough on how I had to train my handler. By the way, his name is Harry, and the short one is his son, Brandon. Harry has been in SAR since 1972, and worked with us dogs since November 1986. Harry founded the search dog program in the state of Oregon, and Southwest Washington. More on that later. I thought search dogs had it easy. We would just sit by the fireplace with a keg of brandy underneath our collars, then go play in the snow. BOY, was I wrong.

First, I had to learn to read sign and body language, whistle commands, and Harry's mood swings. I had to learn the meaning of sit, stay, heel, come, down in motion, and speak on command. That was okay, but climbing up ladders to reach trapped victims, rappelling down cliffs, and swimming in the cold white water, was not my idea of a good time.

I had to learn to climb, crawl, and get in and out of tight spaces, that were quite difficult. I had to learn how to develop my ability to smell. They call it tracking, trailing, and air scenting.

Tracking is hard work. As a human or animal walks along, they shed approximately 10,000 pieces of scent per minute. As I come along, I can smell where they have been, and which way they traveled. There are a few things that affect my ability to track, trail, or air scent. If it is raining really hard for a long period of time, the rain washes the scent down, and can throw me off. Then Harry has to use me in an air-scenting search. When a person is stationary (in one place), the wind and air currents strikes into them and picks up their scent and carries their scent downwind.

When this is the case, Harry has to be smart enough to work me into the wind, constantly being aware of the changing terrain and air currents. If all works properly, then I can air scent right into the person. If the wind changes direction and blows in the direction we travel, then I might not even pick up the scent until we get downwind of the victim.

Heat can dry out the scent. That is why we like to search at night. Many search and rescue agencies do not like to search at night because "you can not find anything." That is the biggest mistake a qualified SAR department can make. First, the victim usually stays in one place at night due to darkness and being tired. This gives us a chance to catch up to them. Also, the scent stays low to the ground at night and because it is usually cooler, my sinus passages do not dry out so quickly. Most of the FINDS that I have made were at night. You just have to be more clue aware and walk slower.

Cigarette Smoke.
I have a trillion scent receptor cells. This means I can smell 500 times better than humans. This also makes me a very positive tool to use in helping locate missing persons and pets. Cigarette smoke really hurts me. There is a drug called NICOTINE inside the cigarette. When people are rude or stupid, and smoke around me, I get really angry. One puff of cigarette smoke can numb my nose and dry out my sinus passages, and make me useless for tracking for up to eight hours. That is why none of the dog handlers in our unit are allowed to smoke.

We found that the smoke also affects us in other ways. The first word in the Webster Dictionary reference Nicotine is "Poison". That's what these people are putting in their lungs and the lungs of everyone around them. It messes up our lungs too. We breathe in 21 percent oxygen, and we breathe out about 16 percent oxygen. When someone smokes around us, this decreases the oxygen percent that we breathe, and we must then try to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Our cells in our body must draw the oxygen from within to compensate, and that causes headaches and many other medical disorders.

Harry performed a lot of tests regarding cigarette smoke and children. He found that if someone smokes around a child, the nicotine gets into the air as "second hand smoke" and when the child breaths it in by sitting in the same room, car, or office as the smoker, then the child becomes susceptible to many terminal diseases. Like cancer and asthma are just some of the real long-term problems.

190,000 kids go to the emergency room every year from second hand cigarette smoke poisoning. 90,000 kids never go home. THEY DIE. I don't get it. When a smoker tells us how much they love their children and pets, yet they smoke around them. If they loved them so much, why are they exposing them to this poison? I still have not figured that one out. Natural selection = employment opportunities.

Cigarette smoke also masks the human scent so it throws me off. I can still pick up a little portion of the human scent, but I find it very difficult to track a missing child if their parents have smoked around them. Campfire smoke has no effect on me. It does not contain nicotine. So if you know anyone who smokes, ask him or her to quit.

If not for their sake, at least for the people around them. Plus, it is expensive, and they could use the money they save and buy me the chewy milk bones I love so much. Contamination from gasoline fumes, (people driving over the search area with trucks, patrol cars, etc.) really can mess up a scent.

People walking over the missing person's scent, also masks their scent and makes it really difficult for me to scent discriminate. I am taught to search two different ways.

The first way is called "a general rule out search" or "area search." Harry tells me to find everyone out there and show him where they are. We use this if we are searching at night for plane crash victims, disaster victims, and avalanche victims.

Harry may not know how many people are buried under the rubble, and so it is my job to locate them and tell him where they are, and if they are alive. As a human is buried under debris, water, snow, mud, dirt, or whatever, their scent evaporates to the surface and pools at the surface. If they are alive, I can smell that, and it makes me very happy. I bark, wag my tail, and try to dig them out immediately. Harry gets the message, and pulls me away, and helps dig out the survivors. If they are dead, they give off a death scent. When I smell this, I get really upset. My tail goes between my legs and I just paw at the surface really slowly.

Harry will see this, mark the location, and move into the next search area during a disaster. Other recovery persons will then come in and dig up the victim(s) and remove them.

I am trained to try to find as many live victims as possible, so that is what my handler and I concentrate on. When we are sure that the area is clear of live victims, then the grim job of locating and removing the dead begins. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed. I can feel how upset my handler gets, and we both just sit down and hug each other, trying to make sense of all that we've seen. When I am trying to find one person among many, I need what is called a "scent article."

This is usually something that belongs to the missing person, and has not been exposed to cigarette smoke, or handled by anyone else. A shoe, or a dirty sock, work really well for me. Harry places the scent article into a paper sack and introduces it to me. I then will check out all the smells in the area, and if the scene has not been contaminated too badly, I track or trail the missing person to where they are.

I have followed uncontaminated scents that were up to one year old. Usually, if I am to be successful, I should start tracking or trailing within 24 hours from the PLS. That is search and rescue talk for "Point Last Seen." It means where the missing person was last visually seen. I can use many things as scent articles: human blood, hair, clothing, or body parts, footprints, pillows, anything a human has touched.

I have even used a dead body as a scent article, knowing that only the suspect was the last person to touch the victim, I was able to track the other scent on the body, to where the suspect had parked his vehicle. At times I have been successful at using just a single footprint to find the missing person. Harry is trained as a "Man Tracker" as well as a dog handler, and between my nose, and his eyes, we make a very effective team.

Harry is someone very special to me and many other people. He is credited in helping save countless lives and has won awards for three lives he saved on three separate occasions. As I said earlier, he started in SAR in Portland, Oregon in 1972. In 1974, he graduated from the Police Academy and went into the U.S. Army. While stationed in Europe, he learned how avalanche dogs were trained and worked. He was heavy into mountain climbing at the time, and ended up working with various Mountain Rescue teams.

When Harry returned to the United States, he continued his medical training, and continued to train in search and rescue, as well as mountaineering. In May of 1986, Harry responded to a request for help, to search for lost climbers on Mt. Hood.

Because of his experience, he was assigned as a team leader on the second and third day of the search. Frustrated by the problems facing the large-scale search, he decided to make positive changes in Oregon to help prevent any further tragedies.

In these changes, he decided to develop a search dog team that could climb, respond, and search effectively, on the high angle icy glacier slopes of Mt. Hood. He also developed the prevention safety program called H.U.F.Y. It stands for "Help Us Find You." This is a safety program given to people from all walks of life, and all ages, to teach them preparedness in the wilderness and the city. How to survive being lost, find safe shelter, signal for help, and assist search and rescue personnel to find them ALIVE. Since Harry started the H.U.F.Y. program in 1986, he has taught the HUFY program to over 1,000,000 people in over 2550 programs.

The H.U.F.Y. program has saved the lives of 16 people that we know of so far. It teaches people what to carry with them, how to prepare themselves for the outdoors, how to use the equipment, and find safe help. If you are interested in finding out more about the Be Safe H.U.F.Y. program or in ordering the H.U.F.Y. coloring book, you can write us at: H.U.F.Y. P.0. Box 1472, Longview, Wa. 98632 USA.

From 1987 to 1997, I have helped teach at over 2,500 school assemblies.

Harry did not really know how to begin using search and rescue (SAR) dogs in the state of Oregon. He contacted the director of Emergency Services. This politician told Harry to find a current dog unit in a nearby state, adopt their accepted and proven training and testing standards, train his people and dog teams, and go out and start making FINDS (lost hikers, climbers, etc.). Harry was instructed to document everything and then return the documentation to Mr. Politician. Harry was led to believe that our dog team would be used after completing the necessary tasks.

Well, Harry did just that. For 1-1/2 years, he worked a purebred Lab named "KODI," a neighbor's dog that he borrowed and trained for SAR work. Harry documented nine finds of lost climbers, a drowning, and a homicide victim in the Skamania County, Clark County, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens areas. Believing that our dog teams would be used, Harry sent the documentation to the director of Emergency Services in Oregon. In reality, some of the sheriff's departments in Oregon did not want dog teams, even after all the training, testing, and actual finds made on the SAR missions.


Harry with first search dog Kodi.

With Oregon being the only state in the USA that was not using all of their Search and Rescue resources properly, Harry became frustrated and very concerned. Oregon now had an effective SAR dog team with certified dogs and handlers. He offered plenty of documentation to prove our effectiveness, and while the local sheriff’s departments were not using us properly, people were dying. After all this work, Harry went back to Mr. Politician and said, "Let me meet with all the members of the Oregon State Sheriff's Association and show them what we have done, can do, and what we will attempt to do for them in the future, if given the chance." So Mr. Politician agreed. A year later, Harry finally received a request to meet with the members of the OSSA.

During that time Harry had lost the use of KODI, as his neighbor moved to Montana. That is when I came into the picture. Anyway, Harry and Nina, his secretary, and another volunteer with Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, went down to Southern Oregon and presented the SAR dogs case. They provided demonstrations, documentation, a slide show and a video produced by a local TV station of us in action.

Some of the Sheriffs were very interested and very happy to see what we could provide for them. Some even stood up and told the other sheriff's of our successes in their counties. Others were set in their ways with the attitudes, "I've never had dogs in my searches do any good in the past, and I do not intend on using them now." With this comment, we requested all of the SAR deputies there at the meeting to set up any kind of test using our standards or their standards to prove to them that we could do the job. Our handler and dog standards are tougher than any other standards in the Northwest, and our handlers must be trained in SAR as a SAR volunteer first. This means they have to meet Oregon and Washington State Certification Standards in SAR before we would train them as dog handlers.


Since the Mountain Rescue unit in Portland was currently being allowed to certify themselves under Oregon standards, we felt we could do the same. We even asked the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department, Lt. BoBo (again, name changed), to allow us to go through their training courses and have them certify us. They refused for quite a long time. We soon found out that is not what you know, but whom you know in SAR to get used effectively. Funny, you would think that since the dog teams are all volunteer and never charge for their services, that the Sheriff's departments would want to use every available resource. What could it hurt? The Sheriff's department was in charge of their search, so there was no question as to procedure. Maybe some felt threatened by other professionals. During the meeting the question came up of money.

Harry informed all of them, that if the members of the OSSA wanted to reimburse the handlers for cost of the searches, such as gas to and from the search, and cost of food, that they would gladly accept such an offer, but it was not necessary. We existed on donations and money brought in through fund-raising. Then the members of the OSSA got into a huge discussion, and they couldn't even decide among themselves, what state standards they would follow reference SAR.

They stated, "If you certify in my county as a SAR member, that does not mean we will certify you in the next county." Excuse me, but it is the exact same test. Why should we have to be re-tested 36 times to donate our services to 36 counties within Oregon? Washington state lets you test for one county, and then you are certified in all of the counties. That makes sense, even to a search dog like me.

We all left the meeting totally frustrated. Then some problems started. First Skamania County called Harry for a search for a missing person. Her vehicle was found near a river and she had not been seen for two days.
Harry gave me four strands of the victim’s hair as my scent article and I tracked her to the water. Divers checked the area and eventually her body was found down stream in the water. I was right on my first search in Skamania County.

This built Harry's confidence in my tracking ability. It also gave the Sheriff's office in Washington more confidence in SAR dog teams. Search after search in the state of Washington, were being documented by the SAR dog teams. But yet only two counties in Oregon were using our team. Then some of our members became frustrated by our strict standards, and by our not being used properly by the state of Oregon. Members started quitting and they started up their own SAR dog unit. Oh well, their loss. Then more problems developed among the human searchers.



Other search members felt they had more experience than they actually had. They wanted to take over and run the M.W.S.D. unit. Harry was not about to let a bunch of amateurs ruin what he and others had spent so much time, effort, and money building up. So these members left the unit. All the money, training, and time, Harry put into training these ungrateful members went to waste.


Photo of Harry and Ranger rappelling into a 86’ deep crevasse on Mt. Hood, Ore. To located two injured climbers.

In 1989, a call came in from Lt. BoBo from Clackamas County Sheriff's Department. A child was missing in the wilderness and SAR dogs from M.W.S.D. and the other less experienced dog unit responded to the call for assistance. On a Friday night, a 3-year-old boy disappeared from a mobile home near Squaw Mountain Road. The boy had three dogs with him. During the massive search, crews were not finding any clues. Then late Saturday evening at 6pm, I led Harry down a canyon area one and a half miles away from the PLS, our team located the boy's footprints and found fur samples matching the breed of the dogs that were with the boy.

Harry radioed to the SAR base camp to get a more experienced man tracking team down into the canyon, so we could work together to help locate the boy. Search teams lost the boy's tracks along a heavily traveled roadway, and we continued to search. Then the Sheriff's Department received a report from a telephone operator. An anonymous caller said, "You will not find the child in the wilderness, a person killed him and threw him in the river."

Because of the new information and lack of clues in the wilderness the Sheriff's Department SAR Coordinator wanted to call off the search for the night. This is where the trouble began. Having been in SAR for as many years as Harry has, he became very angry when they refused to accept that the shoe prints and fur we found in the wilderness area was that of the little lost boy, and the 3 missing dogs. Use some common sense.
How many little boys wander around in the wilderness that far away from home, with the same type of dogs we were looking for?

Even as a dog, I could not understand how there could be any question that this in fact was the missing boy's footprint and fur from the missing dogs. Since Harry is a dog handler, he is very aware of what kind of fur belongs to what kind of dog. A strong argument broke out between the SAR Deputy and Harry. Harry was trying to keep the search going for the little boy. Especially after we found the footprints and dog fur.

The deputy argued that Harry, "was not a forensics scientist, and he had not proven that the footprint and fur belonged to the missing boy and dogs." Harry then went to the boys family and informed them of the Sheriff Deputy's opinion, and that he felt sure this in fact was their child's footprint, and that he was still out there. This is a big no no in search and rescue. To go above the chain of command and defy his authority.

The family did what Harry expected them to do. They raised such a fuss, that it put pressure on the Sheriff's Department to keep the search going. The next day at 2 PM, Joey and the three dogs walked out to one of the MWSD team members. Close to where Harry and I found the footprints and fur. During the search, my foot was badly cut on a broken beer bottle. It took $109.00 worth of painful stitches to sew up my cut pad.

Thank goodness Harry knew dog first aid and was able to help treat me out in the field. Even more frustrating than me getting hurt on the search, was the Sheriff's Department never admitting they were wrong and refused to help pay for my veterinarian bill, even though I was injured in the line of duty. They really care a lot about their searchers, don't they.

We soon found out that Lt. BoBo badmouthed us to the other members of the OSSA and this turned many of them against us. The next weekend there was a drowning in Columbia County. A young man was jumping waves as ships went by and he hit a ledge and drowned. A Lt. from the Sheriff's office in Columbia County called us and requested two dog teams.

Upon starting the responding units, Harry received an apologetic call back from the same Lt. stating, "I am sorry, but because of what happened in Clackamas County, my Sheriff does not want your team out on our search scene." After 6 hours, their dive team was unsuccessful in finding the victim.

The Lt. then gave our business telephone number to the victim’s father, who was quite upset by this time. The father then called on us to perform a private search. Harry called the Columbia County Sheriff's Department to ask permission to join in their efforts and was told, "I do not give a damn what you do, just stay out of my way."

We responded with three dog teams, and within three minutes of arrival at the search area, we located the missing drowning victim. He was in approximately 20 feet of water, about 30 feet off shore. Harry then called the Columbia County Sheriff's Department and requested they return to recover the body. They refused. The next day the victim's body floated to the surface, in front of the boy’s father, where the dogs had all alerted. This was the beginning of our unit’s participation in performing private searches.

Our views were that certain Sheriff's Departments were very unprofessional. If they did not wish to use all of their available resources, then we would certainly make the families of future victims aware that we existed, and would assist them on our own, since some of the Sheriff's egos and attitudes would not allow us to be used properly. They could not admit they were wrong. Only that Harry and his unit were, "trouble makers that could not be trusted."

We had tried everything else first, and this was our last resort. Harry and I joined a Mountain Rescue Team in Portland, Oregon, quite a few years prior and had been responding to Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens with them to help out on many searches. One of my best finds was during a training mission on the north side of Mt. Hood up on Elliot Glacier. The winds were blowing so hard that day that many climbing club activities in the area were canceled. The winds gusted to 60 mph at times. This brought the air temperature, which was around 38 degrees F down to 25degrees F below zero. Anyway, we had a rescue climber who was in the area reportedly getting very hypothermic.

Hypothermia can kill. It kills more people and animals in the outdoors, than anything else do. It is the body’s inability to reproduce internal core body temperature and after you lose your body temperature, you get so cold that you can die. Anyway, this climber was getting that way, so I went onto task and started searching for him. I found him in less than 20 minutes in this crevasse, and the Mountain Rescue Team immediately started re-warming him. It was through our efforts, that he is still alive today. Just another case of how a dog team, and technical rescue team, can work together to accomplish the same goals.

But eventually our membership with this Mountain Rescue Team ended after Lt. BoBo and Mr. Politician had informed the Mountain Rescue Team that we were "trouble makers", and it would only cause trouble for their team if they continued to allow us to remain as members. Politics is a serious thing. After all, you have EGO's to deal with. So, we continued on with our Search & Rescue efforts despite Clackamas County and the Mountain Rescue Team's efforts to try and shut us down.



This angered Lt. BoBo so much that he started making telephone calls to all of the Sheriff's Departments in Washington who used us. Badmouthing us was just one of his many stupid mistakes. This human was supposed to be a paid professional, and was using tax payers money to make long distant telephone calls while on duty, to bad mouth our search dog unit. The one person he called in Skamania County got angry at his actions and called Harry and told him all about what Lt. BoBo was doing. When Harry called Lt. BoBo to see what his problem was, first he refused to even return Harry's telephone calls. Then Harry wrote the Sheriff a letter, demanding an apology.

Lt. BoBo not only refused to give him and the unit an apology, but also continued to harass the members. Lt. BoBo called Harry one day and stated, "Why don't you just give up your efforts with the search dogs. All you have done is discredit yourself with the community and we'll never use you again in our county after all the trouble that you've caused."

Harry politely bit his lip and tactfully reminded Lt. BoBo that it all started when his SAR Coordinator made a "poor judgment error", and Harry called him on it. Remember me talking about the little lost child with the three dogs? Well the Lt. got very upset at being reminded that he didn't walk on water and made mistakes also. The conversation-ended right there.

Private searches started making more and more sense. Since many of the Oregon Sheriff's Departments were not using the Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, the families were becoming very frustrated and would call us out privately. For quite a while Harry would call the Sheriff's Department responsible for the search area and ask their permission to enter their county with his search teams. He was repeatedly treated very rudely, and was told, "If you want to hike around here on your own, then that's your business. But, we won't call you because of the problems in Clackamas County."

One day Harry was talking with Lt. BoBo trying to work out their differences over the telephone, and Lt. BoBo made the comment, "Harry, if you don't like the way we do things in Oregon, then why don't you change them by changing the Laws?" This struck an idea in Harry's head. After documenting many searches in three years, where a search had been conducted by the county officials, and the county search units were not able to locate the victim(s), and members of M.W.S.D. entered the same search areas, located the victims dead, we held a meeting and discussed the options.

Frustrated by the lack of knowledge regarding Search & Rescue, and the overwhelming egos involved with certain members of the Oregon State Sheriff's Association in Search and Rescue, the decision was to make the laws more current.

Instead of the "get back up on the horse and ride" attitude, we wanted the Sheriff's Departments to make it very clear to the families of the missing person(s) that if the original search party did not find their loved ones, then the families could certainly call out the available resources on their own. This included the use of search dogs, man tracking teams, and many other available resources. The final blow is what happened next...

On October 23, 1989 we were called by Polk County Sheriff's Department to look for a missing person in their county. We were in the middle of coordinating the search, when Harry called a military unit in Portland to request a helicopter team for the following day's search operation. He was advised that there was already a team being sent south to Chemult to search for a missing child. The boy was lost near Chemult, Oregon, and the Klamath County Sheriff's Department was handling the case.

The helicopter team requested to know if we could break any SAR Dog teams off from our search mission to assist in the search in Chemult? Harry then stated he would have to obtain consent from the search coordinator in Klamath County to enter their search area.

Harry with SAR Dog Ranger searching the wilderness for a missing child.

Harry called the Klamath County Dispatch center and talked with a dispatcher. When Harry informed the dispatcher that the M.W.S.D. teams were two hours away by car, and that they could break four dog teams away from their current search, to assist Klamath County in their efforts in finding the little lost boy, their dispatcher stated, "Hold on a minute and I'II check with the on scene coordinator out at the search site."

Harry heard the following conversation over the radio, "Base to search base; search base go ahead; Do you want any search dog teams for your search?; Who's asking?; Mountain Wilderness Search Dog Team Coordinator; If that's Harry Oakes' group, I want nothing to do with them; Base clear." The dispatcher realizing how unprofessional and rude the SAR coordinator was stated, "I'm sorry, but not right now." Harry then thanked him for asking and hung up the telephone.

Harry was very angry at this point and started cussing. He hardly ever gets angry, but this one time, he was really mad. I heard him say to one of the SAR Deputies in Polk County, "Those idiots, don't they realize we're just trying to help save a child's life?" It's really sad when the idiot down south who was running this search, was putting his ego ahead of his I.Q. and not using all of his available resources.

The Polk County SAR deputy just shook his head and said, "I can't even begin to understand it. We use your team all the time and never have had a problem with any of you. Why won't they use you?" Harry then explained their problems with Clackamas County and both Harry and the Polk County Deputy just sat in silence. I know why Harry was so angry. Here his unit, Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, had documented well over 59 search missions in Oregon and Washington. His unit had proven that us dogs could do the job. If nothing else, WHAT WOULD IT HAVE HURT to have four more trained search teams out looking for the lost little child in that cold, wet wilderness?

Since the unit was a volunteer unit and did not charge anything for their services, none of the handlers could understand why we were not being called. It just did not make any sense at all. Here were trained search and rescue dogs, which were available to provide free trained search teams and we were refused. We finished off our search in Polk County after finding the lost person and saving his life. Harry again made another telephone call to Klamath County Sheriff's Department and requested permission to enter the search scene with SAR dog teams. He was informed that, "if any of his team entered the search scene they would be arrested on site for trespassing."

Harry then called the Director of Emergency Services, Mr. Politician. Mr. Politician was informed of what had just transpired over the telephone with Klamath County, and Harry asked Mr. Politician if there was anything he could do since he was in charge of SAR in Oregon. Mr. Politician stated, "The Sheriff's Department responsible for that search in their county, is the responsible agency, and I'm only here to provide assistance if they need it." I heard all of the dog handlers complaining that this was wrong, and that they just could not understand what it was that was keeping us out of the search.

Harry and his members called 7 more times throughout the Klamath County search for little Nathan Madsen that lasted over 8 months. We were refused each and every time. Harry asked the Sheriff's Department if they would let the family know that they were available to help. The Sheriff's Department refused. On July 1, 1990 the Mountain Wilderness Search Dog team finally got a message through to Jerry and Sarah Madsen, Nathan's parents.



It was agreed that we would see what the dogs could do. Jerry told Harry that he could not understand why Klamath County had not used all of their available resources. After 8 months of searching for their son, and going through all of the pain, Jerry and Sarah Madsen were finally going to get some assistance from the M.W.S.D. teams.

Harry and I drove down to the search area, with 7 other teams from MWSD, and we searched the canyon where Nathan was last seen 8 months prior. During the search, family members and friends of Nathan told Harry, the other team members and I, what exactly went on during the 8 month old search. We were told that Klamath County had not even filled out a missing person's report on Nathan until 10 days after Nathan had been reported missing. This was done only after a detective, who had experience running searches, got involved, and saw how badly the case had been handled.

The search for Nathan was Oregon's largest search effort to date. We found out that the mill where Jerry Madsen had worked, let all of their staff off work, with pay, to go search the woods they knew so well from hunting. The Sheriff refused to use their efforts along with a donated helicopter. The Sheriff's Department also refused professional man tracking teams and many other qualified SAR teams in the Northwest. Harry, and other members, felt that the SAR Coordinator in Klamath County Sheriff's Department cost Nathan Madsen his life because of his refusal to use all available resources.

Harry sent one dog team east, one south, one north, and another west. The dog teams to the East and North alerted in their areas. They planned to return the next weekend, and search the North East areas of the search scene a little better. But then, because of a search in Washington for a live victim, we had to postpone the search until the following weekend. The next weekend that Harry and his teams were scheduled to go back to the search area, Harry received a telephone call from the Seattle/King County Disaster team, requesting he send four dog teams over to the Philippine Earthquake with their teams.

Harry did a call out, and only two teams were able to break away for 11 days from their families and work. Harry and I, and another dog handler team were able to go. I'II talk about the earthquake later. So Harry put Bill Gawlowski, the units Vice President, and Ben Lill, Assistant SAR Coordinator, in charge of the search for Nathan. Harry directed Bill on where to search based on our earlier search and alerts in the areas.

That weekend, Bill and other MWSD members assisted the family of Nathan Madsen in finding their missing son. After all this time, it was finally over. After all of the refusal from the Law Enforcement Officials, the frustrating nights knowing we could be out there trying to save a little boys life, had finally ended. Nathan's remains were located two miles SW from the Point Last Seen.

It took MWSD teams less then a total of 16 hours of searching to put this case to rest. The investigation revealed the following facts. On the night Nathan was reported missing, the Klamath County Sheriff's Department responded. To make a long story short, they wanted only "their boys" to find Nathan. Otherwise why would they refuse professionally trained help?

Then the search went public and went out of control. Searchers who were untrained, were tromping behind each other through the woods and missing important clues. The public donated money and food to the search efforts to help find Nathan. When a certain Sheriff's unit pulled out of the search efforts two weeks after it began, they took with them over $1,000.00 worth of meat donated to the search effort.

When Jerry asked them what they were doing, the coordinator stated, "We're part of the search effort and we're taking the meat." Well, you can imagine how angry Jerry and his group were. They were still searching and the Sheriff's Department reportedly took off with the searcher's food supply.

Later Jerry and Harry discussed this around the campfire and Harry stated, "They most likely felt if your teams had no more food to feed themselves, maybe you would just quit searching and go home." Jerry then informed Harry of many other problems this particular county caused. When a detective who had helped in the case found that the Sheriff's Department took off with the meat, he demanded its return. The searchers got the hamburger back, but hundreds of dollars worth of steaks ended up missing. In this dog’s opinion, that's stealing.

Now you know why I'm writing this book. When we have a Sheriff's Department in Oregon that won't use their available resources, is reportedly caught stealing, doesn't run an organized search, refuses to tell the family that trained search dogs were requesting to join in the search efforts, the Sheriff's Department is putting their egos ahead of their I.Q.'s. This should be illegal and that Sheriff's Department should be charged for the crimes they committed.

Well, Bill and the group went on TV and informed the public what had happened. The Sheriff, in an effort to justify his actions, stated "Dogs can't search through snow, and it was cold outside, and they wanted us to fly the teams down and pay their way." This could not be any further from the truth. How could we fly down, if our cars were two hours away at another search scene? How can we ask for pay, if we are volunteers? How can us dogs not find anything buried in snow? How do you think we work in avalanche areas? This Sheriff's nose most likely has grown so long from his mis-truths, that it is longer than my Newfoundland tail.



Nathan has been laid to rest, and his family is getting on with their life. They were going to file a lawsuit against the sheriff for not using all available resources properly. But they received some threatening phone calls and decided to back off for their safety. May God watch over Nathan and give that Sheriff his just reward. Like Harry said, "Nathan will live in the hearts of all who searched for him, and those who wanted to search for him, but were not allowed to join in the search effort.

We will remember this for the rest of our lives, and I will do everything in my power to prevent this from ever happening to another person again." GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR..............................
Harry developed the Help Us Find You Search and Rescue Safety Program. Here's what it is all about.

Be Safe. "H.U.F.Y."
Parents and teachers, please take a few minutes and teach your children some basic steps to help them should they ever become lost and in need of our help.

1) First, you must stay calm and stay where you are. Good people will be out looking for you. We cannot find you if you hide or if you keep walking. Once you realize you are lost, find a tree or a large rock and stay there. The rock or tree will help protect you from the sun, heat, wind, and the rain.

2) Next, you should take out your plastic whistle and blow it three times real loud. You should blow your whistle 3 times every time you hear something, until you are found. A loud whistle can be heard far away and can help us find you quickly. Next, you need to take a red handkerchief and tie it to the outside of the tree or hang it from the rock. This can be seen from far away and will help us find you.

3) Once you are done with steps 1 and 2, take out your packet reflector blanket and wrap it all around you, underneath you and over your head. DO NOT COVER YOUR FACE. If you see or hear someone nearby, step out away from your tree or rock and blow your whistle and wave your handkerchief to help them find you. Do this if you see an airplane, search dog, truck, car or helicopter. Continue this until they find you, or they are gone from your sight. If they did not see or hear you, then sit back down in your blanket and wait. Use proper clothing and a ski cap to stay warm.

4) You must remember that it may be a while, but we will be out there looking for you. Stay calm and stay where you are. Do not be afraid of the animals, they will not hurt you. If a search dog finds you, he will leave you for a little while to go find his handler and bring him/her back to where you are to help you. Do not follow the dog. Don't move away or hide. Get your whistle out and blow on it.

5) Five essentials for children to carry when they are out. Bright colored handkerchiefs ____. space blanket____, Water____, some hard candy or beef jerky____, a plastic whistle____. Ski cap.____. Flashlight.___. As the child gets older, have them also carry and know how to use a map and compass, matches or lighter, pocketknife, and a first aid kit. Please make sure your children have these items every time they go out into the woods, fishing, hiking, skiing, camping, boating, or whatever outdoor activity you might have them participate in.

6) The H.U.F.Y. program is being initiated so that if your child is lost while you are outdoors, this program may assist local law enforcement and search & rescue agencies in finding your child and could help save your child's life. Preplanning for any incident will increase the chances of survival. This is true in all situations.
7) Parent, you can help by following these basic guidelines. EACH YEAR, Write down a complete description of what your child is wearing, child's name, date of birth, address and any known medications and medical history information. Keep an extra photograph of your child along with current information about your child's height, weight, scars, hair color, likes and dislikes. Take two photos. One of their face from the front, one of each ear from the side. If they have long hair, pull the hair back so you can see the ear.

The ear is just like a finger print. No one has the same exact ear and we can Id the kidnapped child from security cameras at the airport, bus stations, train station, US Borders, etc.

8) Always let someone know where you are going, what route will be taken and when you should return. Put a copy of this information in an envelope and write "H.U.F.Y." on the outside of it, then place it on your dash in plain sight.

In your description you should include make, color, pattern and size of all clothing: hat, shirt, belt, pants, jacket, glasses, boot or shoe size and pattern. Make a copy of the shoe or boot pattern by having your child step on a piece of tin foil. This will make a nice imprint.

If your child is lost, please call the local authorities immediately. It takes time to organize a search party. You will need to supply information to the search coordinator and bring a good scent article for the dogs. This is something that the child has worn or slept in that has not been washed. Place it in a paper bag and bring it to the coordinators.

Make sure you practice the Be Safe. H.U.F.Y. Program with your child once a month, so he/she can remember it if he/she becomes lost. Teach your child how to use the light sticks and how to make a safe fire with the matches.

For more Be Safe H.U.F.Y program information or scheduling, please call
360-414-8093 or write to us at Mr. Oakes C/O Be Safe H.U.F.Y. programs P.O. box# 1472, Longview, Wa. 98632.

*Please fingerprint your child and photograph your child every year, the day after their birthday.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOUR CHILD TURNS UP MISSING

** Teach them how to dial 9-1-1 to obtain emergency help in their area.

** Teach them the "HELP US FIND YOU" Wilderness and City Survival
techniques.

** Make sure your child is identified.

** Contact a qualified Search Dog agency within your jurisdiction, if the
police have not immediately done so.

** Do not smoke cigarettes around your children. lt throws off the human
scent and makes it harder for Search & Rescue Dogs to locate them.

** Make sure your child carries an ID Card with him/her at all times.

** Teach the child that it is okay to talk to "Safe Strangers," but only if they
are Lost, Hurt, or if someone is trying to hurt them. Teach them to get
away from the bad stranger and go find a safe stranger. A stranger that is
a parent (mom or dad with their own children are usually safe). Never let a
stranger take them anywhere unless it is a police officer, fireman,
paramedic, or searcher in full uniform and driving a marked/appropriate
vehicle.

** Teach your child what a "Block Home" is.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD IS MISSING

** Check the area where you last saw your child, including play spots and
hideouts, both inside and out. Check your house carefully.

** Let your child know that you are looking for him/her by calling out his/her
name loudly. This will not only attract his/her attention if he/she has just
wandered, but will alert other people who may be able to offer information
or assistance.

** Call upon a neighbor, relative or other responsible person who can offer
immediate assistance in a search.

** IF YOU DO NOT LOCATE YOUR MISSING CHILD WITHIN A SHORT
TIME, NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AT
ONCE. DON'T WAIT.


** Ask a passerby, deliveryman or neighbor if they saw your child. Do not be
afraid to talk to people in this situation. Let everyone know that you are
looking for your child.

** If your child has not returned home from a play area, or an errand, trace
their route from the Point Last Seen. Check Parks, construction sites, and
any diversion that might attract your child's interest. ASK PEOPLE
ALONG YOUR SEARCH AREA, IF THEY'VE SEEN YOUR CHILD.

** If your child does not return home from school, call the school to
determine if he/she attended school that day, when he/she left, and if
he/she had any disciplinary problems.

** Ask your child's friends if they know his/her whereabouts. Advise their
parents also.

** After contacting a law enforcement agency, remain where you are, and
wait for a officer to respond. Be prepared to tell the police the location
your child was last seen, his/her destination, give a complete physical
description including clothing worn.

IF YOU LOCATE YOUR CHILD, CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

SEARCH DOGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-414-8093
Web site www.k9sardog.com email: searchdog@iinet.com
SHERIFF / POLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIRE DEPARTMENT / PARAMEDICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HELP US FIND YOU Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360-414-8093 International K-9 SEARCH - RESCUE - RECOVERY Services
PO BOX #1472, Longview, Washington 98632 USA.

Search Dog Training - Avalanche - Article - Cadaver - Wilderness - Urban - Water - Disaster - Mountain Rescue, International and National Standards. All aspects of Search & Rescue for persons with and without search dogs. Investigation Division for missing persons.
Lost/Missing Pets
Tracking missing pet with search dog and tracking teams.
High Angle Rescue/Recovery of animals that have fallen over cliffs.
Assist in recovery/rescue of stolen pets.
Pet ID Programs - Investigation Division.
Counseling
Pet behavior problems - Chewing, biting, barking, digging, housebreaking.
Socializing - Obedience
Pet therapy - Visit hospitals, homes.
Pet loss therapy - Death of family pets. (Grief counseling).
Background checks on pet adoption requests.
General Dog Obedience
On and off lead private and group classes. Hand signals, whistle commands, obstacle course, heel, sit, stay, come, down in motion, speak, quiet on command, dog socializing.

Be Safe Help Us Find You Programs
School assemblies, church programs and special event programs.
Safety lecture - lasts 45 minutes; topics include safety in the wilderness, survival equipment, signaling, wild animals, night lighting equipment, prevention of hypothermia, use of Search Dogs, affects of cigarette smoke on children, City Survival - Stranger danger, earthquake preparedness.

Field Programs for Children and Adults
Map & compass, outdoor survival summer and winter, survival in snow caves.
Rock climbing, backpacking and hiking classes also offered.
Edible plants, "Staying Found."
Women & Children Self Defense
Many neighborhood associations, schools, churches and businesses are now assisting us in educating women and children on basic self-defense courses. Now being offered for only $50.00 per person, you can now learn to "Fight Back." No longer do you have to be a victim of assault, rape, kidnapping or murder. Thousands of women have been through our Self Defense programs and feel much safer for themselves and their families. Portland Paging, Farmers Insurance Group, LDS Church, and Aloha Scholl’s are just some of the organizations that have participated in putting on these programs. Call our offices and set up a class for you and your friends, family or work associates. Don't get scared, get mad and "FIGHT BACK."

Other programs available upon request.
All classes offered throughout the USA and Canada.
I.K.9.S.A.R.S. and the Be Safe H.U.F.Y. safety programs are now a for profit business.

DOG CREEK ROCK RESCUE
On October 19, 1989 at 1515 hours, a high angle rock rescue call came in from a Sheriff's Office in Washington. A 24 year old woman was climbing up a cliff, to see if a cave, up on a sheer cliff, "had a bear in it or not". Now not being human, just a happy go-lucky search dog, I did not know bear's could fly, because that is the only way a bear could have made it into the cave. And second, what would she have done if there was a bear in there? "Say Hi?".

Third, she had no rock climbing gear or experience, she was dressed in a cotton T-shirt, slick street shoes, and jeans. Not good gear to stay warm in where the weather gets wet and cold, as it was doing.

The rescue teams faced some major problems. It was getting dark, the weather was overcast, starting to drizzle, and the winds were picking up. The rock was Columbia River Basalt, which means unstable. The first thing the rescuers did was set up a base command center. Harry and his teams, set up three belay stations. He had to free climb to set up anchors from the top to get the 100 pounds of rope rescue gear, and medical gear, up to the first belay station along with his partners, Rick Blevins, Jardy Dawson, and other members of Silver Star SAR and MWSD.

Then Harry, Rick, and Jardy made it up to belay station #2 and #3. Rick then belayed Harry over the edge. Harry was the senior medical and technical rescuer on scene, and because of the danger, it was decided that he would be the best person to go over the edge. Harry rappelled at station# 3 to the level of the victim.

She was scared, dehydrated, and hypothermic. Harry first secured the victim with a climbing waist and chest harness, then to his harness. He then put a helmet on the victim, gave her some food, water, and warm clothing. Once he felt she was stable and secure, they traversed on belay #3 together. It was getting dark and the only light they had, was from Harry's helmet light, a strobe light on his backpack, and stationary ground lights and spotlights from the news cameraman, and police cars.

When they reached the rappel line, they hooked up and started to rappel together, the rock platform underneath their feet totally crumbled and 50 pounds of rock started down on top of belay station #1 Support Rescue Team members. On top of this Harry lost his footing due to the lack of rock that just went south, and the weight of the victim and rescuer.

Photo of Harry and Ranger being hoisted by rescue helo after winter rescue.

Harry went for a 12 foot fall with the victim on his back before belay #3 was able to obtain rope stretch on both belay #3 rope and the rappel rope. Upon rope stretch, both rescuer and victim were on a stable solid belay line. Harry rappelled with the victim to belay station #1.

There he had two support rescuers bring down the victim from there. At 11:00 PM (2300 hours) we had her down safe and another life was saved by teamwork. Against all odds, weather, time, unstable rock, and darkness, they were able to work as a team and put their training, testing, and skills together, and save her life. Their rescue was featured on the TV show, RESCUE 911, July 1991. I am glad they are all okay.

Victim in the PHILIPPINE EARTHQUAKE
Now it is time to talk about my experience during the Philippine Earthquake. The call came in from the Seattle/King County Disaster Team that they needed four dog teams if we had any available to respond with them to the earthquake. Harry did a call out, and only one other dog and handler could go for the 11-day operation. We drove up to Seattle, where we met the Disaster Team members. They were all really nice people. People from all walks of life. Doctors, nurses, firemen, paramedics, structural engineers, and us. Harry had the most search and rescue experience among the group, so he was put in charge of the search dog team and search operations within the rescue operations.

I got to ride at Harry's feet in the cabin of the airplane. Continental Airlines donated the flight over. It was a twenty-hour ride. I bet you're trying to figure out how I held back from going potty for 20 hours. Well, here is how we figured it. Harry let me go potty right before we loaded on the airplane, and then didn't give me any water or food until we were half way to our layover point in Hawaii. That way, when all the food and water I ate reached my private parts, I only have to wait 30 minutes before going to the bathroom. So he timed the digestive period just right. The stewardess' were really cute. "GRRRRR." They all came up to me and rubbed my tummy, I think Harry was really Jealous. Oh well, the life of a SAR dog is not too bad after all.



When we landed in Hawaii, the other dog "Kodi" a yellow lab, and I ran to the nearest bush and "oh, what a relief it was." It sure was hot there. My butt was still sore form all the shots I got before we left the mainland. I noticed Harry was walking funny, too. Anyway, the camera crews from the local TV station were they’re taking our pictures and talking to Harry and the other rescue volunteers. We sort of got ourselves in a bit of trouble in the airport and I was kind of hot, so I figured, "Hey, I'm a Newfoundland and Labrador mix, this means I like water," so it was time for a swim.

So Kodi and I jumped in and, oh, it felt so good. There were these funny looking fish swimming around called Koi, so we thought we would chase them around for a while and unwind. Kodi and I were having the time of our lives, when some guy who had no sense of humor, came over to Harry and demanded that he call us out of the pond. I wanted to go over to his leg and make believe it was a fire hydrant. I guess those fish were kind of valuable, like me.

Well, I just shook it off and all the water too, and we loaded up for the remaining flight to the Philippines. The plane ride was tiring. I slept most of the way.

Again, all the human people really liked having me aboard. Many asked Harry why I got to ride up front in the cabin with him. He explained that since I was a certified trained search and rescue dog, that I have the same privileges as the service dogs or seeing eye dogs. Since I provide a service to humanity and since I am trained, I am allowed by Federal Law to go where Harry goes. That means into restaurants, hospitals, and public transportation of any kind. I will not poop or pee on the floor, or bark or whine. I am too much of a gentleman to do such a thing. When we landed in Manila, the Hyatt Hotel put us up, to get rested for the next day. We had fancy rooms and room service. We were so tired from traveling and, wow, the heat really got to me. We just slept until the next day when it was time to go to work.

We were trucked to this military base, where we loaded up on helicopters. They had door gunners and everything. A military escort was provided, as there was a war going on over there, between the NPA, (New Peoples army), and the government soldiers. We flew north for quite a while. We then landed at the staging area. It was a school turned into a command post, south of the harder hit areas. We heard the body count was growing with each day. It was very scary. We spent the night there, and then flew into the jungles and mountains the following day. It was very hot and humid.

I could see Harry was a bit concerned as we flew over the rice paddies and huts. I guess it brought back too many memories of when he was in the army in 1974.

Harry with a M-16/203 in a combat zone in the jungle.

We landed on a hillside that was barely still there. There were mud and rockslides everywhere we looked. I remember sticking my head outside of the UH-1 helicopter door and my ears flapped in the wind. That was kind of fun. Anyway, we landed on this road that allowed the rotor blades to come within inches of the hillside and we dropped off most of the rescue team and supplies. We then flew into an area that was hit hard by the earthquake. What a mess. A hillside gave way during the earthquake and buried lots of buses and cars along the Friendship Highway. Harry put me to work. Just over the hillside I immediately found a man buried in two feet of mud and rock. He was dead.

I then searched the rest of the areas and I alerted behind an army truck that had been hit. I could smell a lot of humans beneath the mud and rock.

Harry marked this location with orange flagging. I gave him the death alert. I could see the hope fade from his eyes and the frustration set in. We loaded up and moved on back to the other landing zone where the rest of the crews were. We later found out that the army uncovered 55 dead bodies where I had alerted and where Harry had flagged. They had been caught in the slide and buried alive. When they were recovered, there were no survivors.

We then helped set up base camp. The New Peoples Army moved out of their stronghold and let the rescue teams set up a MASH unit in its place. There a man approached us, there were tears of anguish in his eyes and face. He asked if we could help look for his son who had been buried just over the next hillside. So Harry and I, and some other rescuers, started walking to the scene. Five miles later, we arrived at the sight of some trapped vehicles and rubble.

I started searching and immediately alerted to where the boy was. He was dead too. I was starting to get frustrated at finding nothing but dead people. The boy was under 10 feet of mud and rock. All of our hearts went out to the father of the child. We then made our way back to the camp, and spent the night helping the rest of the disaster team set up camp and started to treat the injured and sick.

SAR Dog Ranger and Cody working a mud/rock slide looking for victims of the earthquake in 1990 Philippine Earthquake.

During the next six days we worked around the clock at searching for victims and helping treat the sick and injured. It was difficult to even want to go out and search, when all I could smell was death around me. In fact, Harry had some of the nurses go hide for me and the other dog Kodi, so that we could find live victims, to cheer us up because we were getting depressed. It helped a little bit.

I know Harry was very quiet and he kept me close at all times. I could see the pain and suffering was getting to him. I heard him say it reminded him of his experience in the service, and how it brought back so many bad memories. Harry is a Christian, and I could often hear him pray at night for strength and guidance. God was listening. He helped all of our team pull through this nightmare, and gave us the strength to help so many people. We were able to find 59 dead people buried in the rubble and help treat 289 injured. It is something we all will remember for a long time to come.

Harry and Ranger playing tug of war.

The death toll was up to 1600 people from this massive earthquake, and God only knows how many thousands were injured and homeless. But, we did the best we could. The Friday night we were suppose to leave, the helicopter did not come because of bad weather. It was monsoon season during our stay, and we were constantly hit by torrential rainstorms and heavy winds. Then we heard the news that a hillside had given way not too far from our location and people were dead and injured. Two survivors were brought into our MASH unit. One was a little girl around 12 years old. The other was a young man around 15 years old.



The girl was not injured, but the boy suffered from a deep head laceration, and both suffered the trauma of seeing their entire family die at once. Their mother, father, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles were killed in the slide. While doctors and nurses worked on treating the injured young man, Harry and another nurse, tried to ease the suffering of the little girl. There is not much one can do. Harry handed her the teddy bear he carried in his pack to help calm children during emergencies and it helped. She clutched the bear and cried. Harry then was able to find an interpreter and we soon found that the young girl was a Christian. Through the interpreter Harry and the nurse helped the little girl pray.

It was not much, but it was all they could do for her at the time. It helped her deal with the loss of her loved ones. We let her know that she was not alone in this world, and that people cared about her, and we would try to help her get her life together. The next day we made a bamboo stretcher and carried the young man out to our landing zone. The helicopter came, but was filled with equipment and a loaded casket. The rescuers placed the young man on top of the casket, as that was the only room in the helicopter, and he was flown to a nearby hospital where he was able to get better long-term care.

There were tense moments during the rescue efforts when aftershocks would hit. I could feel the 14 aftershocks and we could hear the rocks and mud come down the hillsides near us. The heat, snakes, insects, and the diseases were the realities of life. Mixed with the dead and injured, it made for a formidable operation. The last day in the jungle, Harry dug out of his pack a large bag of candy, and handed it out to the children.

Quite a change from eating rice and head lice. I wish you could have seen the smiles on the children's faces. We all then loaded up in trucks and were trucked back to Manila. We all were able to take a real shower. Boy, my tail was sure dragging when we got there.

It felt so good to get into a real shower. We ate about three meals each that night, after taking two showers each. Then we slept. It was hard to get to sleep that night. What a change from the jungles. The next day we visited the Presidential Palace and met with President Corazon Aquino, who personally thanked all of us dogs and rescuers, for our efforts in trying to help her people. Harry and all of the other rescuers received a coffee cup from President Aquino. The other dog and I were the first dogs ever to be allowed within the confines of the Palace, (and not be eaten). The Philippine people think differently about us dogs, especially in the jungle. They like to eat us dogs, so we were watching our tails at all times.

I do have one funny incident that I must relate to you. During the rescue efforts, Harry and I were walking along a road among the villages when I spotted this cute pig tied up to a hut. Well, Mother Nature kind of took control over my sexual urges, and I started practicing "foreign relations" with the pig.

Harry spotted what I was doing and was laughing pretty hard, along with the soldiers who were with us, when all of a sudden I heard him call to me, "RANGER, come here right now." When he said this, with his loud stern voice, I knew something was not right. So I gave my little pig one last gesture of good will, and ran off with a smile on my face.

Then I spotted the problem. It seems the owner was not thrilled to see me with her pig. She came running after me with a BOLO (machete), chasing after me down the road. Harry and the soldiers made her stop immediately. Trying not to let her harm my body. Well, I still have not lived this down. I get ribbed by everyone in the unit.

We flew back to Hawaii and had a one-hour layover, then continued on to Seattle. It was a quiet plane ride. We were all dealing with the experiences we saw in the Philippines. Many people would come up to us in the plane and shake our paws, and our handler’s hands, expressing their gratitude for our efforts. They said we were "heroes." I do not think we saw ourselves in that way.

We were just ordinary dogs, and people, doing what we felt we could to help our fellow beings. It cost Harry $1,600 out of his own pocket, to go on this rescue mission, (time off work, lost wages, babysitting costs, medical expenses, shots, etc.), but I know he feels it was all well worth it. We would both go again tomorrow if there was a need.

It took Harry quite a while to read adjust to the same old routine around home. I know that both of us spent a lot of quality time with each other and Brandon, Harry's son. Something like this makes you stop and think.

You realize just how fragile life really is and how much we take for granted. Life and the love you share with your family and friends, is where it is really at. Quality time with quality love. Upon our return to the USA, Harry suffered from dysentery, so we both spent a good portion of our time visiting mother nature.

POLITICS STRIKES AGAIN
On September 4, 1990 at 1934 hours, a request for search dogs came into our dispatch from Corbett Fire Department. A mudslide had covered a portion of highway near the Stark Street Bridge. It was reported that possibly two (2) carloads of people were buried alive. We contacted our teams and upon arrival were met by one of Multnomah Counties "finest", Sergeant Jerk (not his real name). Sgt. Jerk immediately demanded, out loud, "What the hell are you guys doing here?".

Harry explained that we were requested by the Corbett Fire Department, and that with our experience in the Philippine earthquake, we stood the best chance of finding anyone with our trained and tested search dog teams.

Sgt. Jerk stated, "I certainly did not call you, so stay out of my scene." Harry and the team had no other choice but to pull out as Sgt. Jerk had demanded, and waited.

At 2315 hours, the state crew approached and demanded to know why the search dog team was "just standing around doing nothing?" They were told that Sgt. Jerk "ordered us out, and we're doing what we were told." The state supervisor asked us to go search the area. Since we had not seen Sgt. Jerk since our arrival 3 hours earlier, it was unknown who was in charge of the scene at this point. So we surveyed the scene, determining the safest route in, we began conducting our search.

Five minutes into the search, Sgt. Jerk called us on the radio and stated, "If you are not out in 5 minutes, you are all going to jail." So we, again, pulled our teams out of the search site. Sgt. Jerk got into Harry's face and screamed, "who told you to go in there, I didn't." Harry explained that the supervisor from the state asked us to search. Sgt. Jerk yelled and screamed for about 2 minutes.

It did not seem to matter that there might be people trapped alive under the rubble. It did not matter that we stood around for 3 hours before the state took over and asked us to search. All that seemed to matter to Sgt. Jerk was that he did not have control over "his" scene. Because of his unprofessional attitude, we filed a formal complaint with the Sheriff's Department.

They did nothing as usual. Luckily, when they cleared the rubble, there was no one under it. Had there been, I know Harry, and the search team, would have been the first in line to talk with the surviving relative's attorneys. And rightfully so. A highly specialized team, trained and tested in the field of disaster search and rescue, were held back from doing their job because of Sgt. Jerk. Harry keeps saying, "What goes around, comes around."

HOUSE BILL #3O93
When Harry and I came home, we had another problem with politics to deal with. Harry received telephone calls for the two of us to be guest speakers for different groups. During one of these appearances, Harry spoke about the politics in the Nathan Madsen search, and the humans were totally shocked that the Sheriff's Department did such acts of egotism. Harry was soon hooked up with a neat lady. Her name is Mary Alice Ford. She is someone whom we both admired and respected. She is a Legislative Representative. She offered to try and help Harry and the Search Dog unit change the way we were being treated in Oregon and she was also going to try and help us change the way search and rescue was being performed in Oregon.



We only wanted the Sheriff's Departments in Oregon to bring their attitudes up to date with every other state in the USA. To come into the 1990's and put the 1940's "get up on the horse and ride" attitude aside and start using all of their available resources. Up came House Bill #3093. Harry and his partner, Ben Lill, who helped bring the search dog unit to where it is today, went down to Salem, our state capital, and worked with Mary Alice Ford to write up the following bill:

We wanted the Sheriff's Departments in Oregon to do the following things:

1. To notify the family of all available resources when the Sheriff's Department could not find the missing person. This would allow the family to call in the other resources on their own to help with the continued search efforts.

2. We also wanted all of the Sheriff's Departments in Oregon to use the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS was developed by the Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service, to gain control of a mass scene of confusion during a crisis and perform their jobs in an orderly organized fashion. It has since been perfected, and many search units use it around the world to keep control of the search scene.

3. We wanted all the Sheriff's Departments in Oregon to standardize their training for all SAR personnel. This means if you test in one county as a SAR volunteer, then all other counties in Oregon would have to recognize the training and could use you if they so desired. It also requested that the Sheriff's Departments recognize SAR dogs as a search tool that should be trained, tested, and used.

4. We also asked that if a search animal got hurt on a search, then the Sheriff requesting the search animal for the search, would help pay the medical cost that veterinarians charge. This would include horses, used by Sheriff's Posse and search dogs. Since we risk our lives and limbs, why should we be treated any differently?

We would hope that the Oregon State Sheriff's Association (OSSA) could see that we were trying to help them. But they felt threatened, and fought us every step of the way. At first, when House Bill #3093 came out, there were wild rumors from various Sheriff's Departments. Harry was receiving three calls a day from various departments demanding to know the facts. Some thought we were trying to take over search and rescue in Oregon. Others felt their departments did not need changing, they were doing just fine. Still others made threats. Lt. BoBo and his partner, Mr. Politician, along with the President of the OSSA from Douglas County, made hundreds of telephone calls trying to get House Bill #3093 defeated.



Harry started receiving threatening telephone calls from the above named people. The one from Douglas County stated, "If you even think about exposing us or testifying, I can guarantee that none of the Sheriff's Departments will ever use you again." Harry and the other members of Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, along with the families of the victims, came and testified on our behalf in the House Hearing Sessions. The other search dog unit in Oregon, we will call them "The Others", came also.

Harry and Ranger resting after finding the human remains of Dela Carlson in Clatsop County, Ore. This after the state SAR Dog Teams and Sheriff’s office teams failed to find anything during their two week search efforts.

Their leader is a very nice man. (We will call him Mr. M.) Mr. M. came up to Harry and informed him that he personally supported everything Harry did. But for the record, "The Others" would support the Oregon State Sheriff's Association. Mr. M. Stated, "You are widely hated among many SAR Deputies because you rocked the boat and are making big waves. They do not like anyone making waves and it does not matter that you are good and know what you are doing. They would hate me if I introduced House Bill #3093. I think what you are doing is badly needed in Oregon. These guys do not understand the first thing about using search dogs, and somebody needs to wake them up to reality."

As soon as we got into the hearings, the battle lines were drawn. Mr. M's unit was being used to discredit the MWSD unit. They have less trained and less experienced handlers and dogs.

Yet if anything comes down in Oregon, they are used by Clackamas and Multnomah County Sheriff's Departments. When MWSD teams request to participate in search efforts, we are continually reminded that, "we can not be trusted, we are not TEAM PLAYERS and will not be used."

We exposed the OSSA tactics to the Hearing Committee members. The OSSA was upset. Lt. BoBo stated during his testimony that "We have used Harry's unit in our search missions and we will call them if we ever need them." Have you ever seen someone's nose grow while talking. It really does happen.

He kept reminding everyone that their association, OSSA, has decided to recognize SAR dogs as a tool, and to train the handlers so that if they are certified in one county they are certified in every county within Oregon. The OSSA complained about how unfair House Bill #3093 was to them, claiming it would cause disruption within the SAR community.

We had Bob Islie, father of Lee Islie (a murdered child who was kidnapped in Oregon) testify in support of House Bill #3093. The Madsen’s testified regarding Klamath County screw up, and why everyone should support House Bill #3093. We had the Oregon Nurses Association, the Oregon Fire fighter's Association, Oregon Mountain Rescue Council, and the Oregon State Police Association, and many other organizations testify in support of the Bill.

In the end, it died on the House Floor. The OSSA had two-paid lobbyist. MWSD had one volunteer lobbyist. Harry had to take time off work, drive down to Salem each day, (100 miles round trip), and spend his own money to lobby for what so many others wanted. But, in the end, it did not pass the floor of the House. There were many Legislative Representatives who supported the Bill and were supporting our efforts by talking with as many people as they could.

House Bill #3093 did accomplish a few things. First, we made Oregon aware that major problems exist within our SAR community that need changing now. Second, we were able to make the OSSA aware that they could not go on with their 1940 tactics, and let people die, because of their EGO's. That people like Harry would try to help them if they wanted his experience, or fight them, if they continued to show poor judgment. The Oregon State Police supported House Bill #3093, but even with their support, it did not pass. When the hearings were going on in the State Capital building, me and three other SAR dog friends were allowed in the hearing rooms. We stood tall and showed them we were professionals.

The other problems we are fighting is Clackamas County Sheriff's Department showing prejudice. They allow one search and rescue unit, within their jurisdiction, to certify their own people as searchers, yet do not allow all units the same privilege.

Clackamas County started playing dirty with Harry and the MWSD unit. They refused to call them on missing children searches, claiming "Your people have not been certified in Oregon yet." We kept requesting enrollment of our people in their SAR classes, they kept refusing. You have to remember that Harry set up written and practical field testing using the Oregon and Washington state SAR standards, and had been following them for four years. The Sheriff's Departments each had a copy of the MWSD standards, they could see that we not only met their standards, but exceeded them.

One other thing came out during the House Bill #3093 hearings. Mr. Politician was bad-mouthing Harry and his unit. Harry and Mrs. Mary Alice Ford's secretary, Mrs. Sally Cutter, met with Mr. Politician. Mr. Politician bad-mouthed Harry and the MWSD unit right in front of Sally Cutter claiming, "these guys really messed up in the Philippine earthquake. I have been getting telephone calls and letters from many people telling me how badly they did." Harry was ready to explode with anger.

Harry demanded to know where Mr. Politician got his facts. Mr. Politician stated, "I got a letter from Marcia Do Good (not her real name) stating that your other dog handler worked her dog, on lead, during the search efforts in the Philippines." Harry asked to see the letter, Mr. Politician refused. Harry then asked who else complained. Mr. Politician stated, "nobody else, just her." Sally and Harry were just shocked that a paid politician from the State Capital would read one letter, from a search dog handler in the state of Washington who wasn't even in the rescue effort of the Philippine earthquake. Referencing one dog complaint, which was not justified or verified, and start saying bad things about the SAR dog unit and Harry.

Harry did some checking with Marcia and found out she was upset because she wanted to go to the Philippines, but because of bad feelings with her actions in a prior disaster, she was turned away by the Seattle King County Disaster Team. This made her angry, so she called Mr. Politician and demanded to know why a SAR dog team from Oregon was being used and not her team. This was her complaint? Hmmmm.

Well Harry and Sally wrote this meeting off as a total loss. Considering the sources and how unreliable they were, Harry just turned to Mr. Politician and stated, "If you really think we messed up in the Philippines, you are very mistaken. All you had to do was pick up a telephone and call the Seattle/King County Disaster Team and talk with their leaders and you would have found that not only were we successful, but we are welcome back on the next mission."

Mrs. Mary Alice Ford wrote Mr. Politician's boss a letter. Within a week, Mr. Politician was calling Harry and whining that, "He never bad-mouthed him, and that he was real sorry if he ever made it look that way. He was just as fed up with the OSSA's actions as we were."

Harry hung up after the conversation and considered the source. He shook his head out of frustration and we went for a long walk.






COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
On 04-10-91 a large-scale search was started for two women overdue from a hike in the Columbia River Gorge area. Again, since it was in Multnomah County, we were not called. We watched on TV as "The Others" and other much more qualified SAR teams, searched throughout the night. The weather was getting worse, and eventually they called off the search "do to lack of clues".

Harry has hiked this area hundreds of times as a hike leader for the Mazama Club. This is an outdoor group, which allows you to be a member, once you have climbed a mountain. I can tell you from experience, if you’re a member of the Manama’s, you have got determination and stamina, and you are not a quitter. To climb to the top of a mountain takes all this, and a lot more. Harry felt the Sheriff's Office had not even begun to search, and they gave up too easily. He was not trying to second-guess them, but instead offered his services. He was told by a spokesman from the Sheriff's Department "That his group was free to hike anywhere they wanted to." Harry had the unit called out and made contact with the Mazama club and we organized our own search efforts.

The newspaper blasted the Sheriff's Department for giving up so quickly. The paper tried to get us to bad-mouth the Sheriff's Department. Harry refused to put the Sheriff's Department down. Stating, "They did what they felt they could, and now it is our turn." Eventually Pat and Kathy were found alive, by a Military Rescue helicopter during a "TRAINING MISSION." The helicopter landed the two women, in the parking lot, right in front of the media news cameras and unloaded Pat and Kathy in front of the SAR Deputy who was just hanging around the private search efforts. We had one embarrassed Sheriff's Department. (Nothing new).

The search dog unit is a very demanding unit. Since none of us get paid, nor do the handlers, we all have to train around our schedules. It is hard being a search dog or handler. You have to take time away from the TV and a soft cozy bed, to go out in the worst weather, hike or climb for hours, and search for someone. The training is endless. We train in rappelling, air scenting, trailing and tracking, swimming in white water, disaster searching, evidence and homicide searches, avalanche, night searches, and urban and wilderness searching. It never ends. If we are not training then we are testing. If we are not testing, then we are on actual missions.









SITKA, ALASKA, JULY 1991

SAR Dog Ranger with Harry in Sitka Alaska during a missing berry picker search.

Harry and I flew up to Sitka, Alaska to help teach mountain rescue and search and rescue. We had a nice flight up there. We sure had fun, but all it did was rain. This leads to my next story. On Saturday, Harry was observing a mock search on a nearby mountain to combine the SAR dog teams, base support, and man tracking teams, from the Sitka Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's), and rope rescue teams. Susan Royce, their SAR dog coordinator, was busy running the mission while Harry and I observed. Well, I got bored. All the other SAR dogs got to go into the field, and I had to stay back in base camp. Bandit, a beagle on the Sitka team, was laying around base camp with a green chew toy frog. So, I walked over and took it from him and began to chew on it. Harry didn't see me chewing on this frog, and did not see me accidentally swallow it whole.

Hours later, the victims were located and brought out, and we all went back to the fire station to debrief. Susan asked Harry where Bandit's toy frog went. They looked all around and could not find it. Later, we were all sitting around the fire department, Harry was talking with the engineer, and while patting my stomach, heard the toy frog squeak. Both Harry and the engineer looked at me and then at each other rather shocked. Harry looked at my stomach and pressed again, "SQUEAK." came the sound.

The mystery of the disappearing toy frog was now solved. Worried that I might have a major bowel obstruction, Harry paid an X-ray technician to x-ray my stomach. The x-ray showed the toy frog staring back at us. Harry became real worried, the frog had to come out. With no veterinarian surgical facilities in Sitka, he eventually had the U. S. Coast Guard obtain permission from Headquarters to transport me to Juneau for surgery.

By now I was not feeling all to hot. Harry talked with my personal physician, Dr. Fujie, who ordered me back to Oregon, IMMEDIATELY. Harry and I flew back home a day early and I was rushed into surgery at 2240hours. I became the proud "father" of a $697.00 toy squeaky frog. Harry spent the night pacing the floor. He was a nervous wreck. I was on so many medications, I was dreaming of being alone with Lassie on a deserted island, the trees full of dog bones... I spent the night, and all of the next day, in recovery.

Harry pulled his sleeping bag next to me, and was right by my side the whole time. Checking on me, keeping me warm, and trying to keep his sanity. Now I know what "bonding" really means. Well, we survived this ordeal and now Harry, Froggie, and I are doing fine. Froggie is mounted in a frame as a remembrance of our Alaska trip.

We were called up to Canada to do some searches. It sure was pretty up there and it sure was different. Their search teams know the meaning of teamwork and respect. Harry and I were shocked at the way we were treated. The SARBC teams was polite, professional, and very nice to work with. Something we are certainly not use to in Oregon.

DROWNING
On 02-11-92, MWSD responded to a drowning. The Sheriff's Department was looking for a missing 12-year-old boy who was last reported fishing. After the third day, we were called in. Harry and I went to the Point Last Seen (PLS) and worked down stream in a boat. I immediately alerted (barked, whined, and stared at the water). I could smell the human child under the water but could not see him. Harry asked the second search dog team "Brandy" and Jim Burgett to check the area too. Brandy also alerted. The boy's body was recovered.

How we locate bodies under water is really quite simple. As the body goes underwater, it starts giving off scent from human hair, dandruff, and oils on the skin. As the human dies, they begin to give off a death scent. All these things float to the surface of the water. If a body has been underwater any length of time, it will begin to decompose, giving off gases which eventually rise to the surface of the water. It is Harry's job to bring me to the PLS, and start working down stream. When I first begin to alert on the human scent coming out of the water, Harry marks the location. We continue to travel down stream, when I quit alerting, Harry marks the second location.

The area of probability has been narrowed down between the area when I began and when I quit alerting. This whole scenario of marking the search scene can occur in a matter of minutes. After the area has been marked, SCUBA divers, cameras, or probes are sent down to locate and retrieve the body.

The deepest alert I have done on water was 86' deep on the Columbia River. In working recoveries this deep, rescuers must look at the depth, water temperature, river bottom soil, current speed, weather, etc. Most of the bodies we assisted in locating dropped at a 40-degree angle and stay within a 1/4 mile from where they went under, unless they snagged in an eddy or a submerged tree. The bodies will just float chest down until gases decompose enough to float it back up, or rescue divers recover them.



It is unfortunate when SAR dogs are not called into assist the Sheriff's Department locate drowning. A situation occurred where 2 young boys drowned and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department and local Fire Department spent days looking for them. With family members watching, the Sheriff's Department resorted to using "grappling" hooks to snag the boys bodies. Add up the cost of 3 Sheriff's Deputies (8 hours a day), boat fuel (2 days), Fire Department's boat and fire fighters. If you can, add the shock value of the family watching their boys surfacing on the points of grappling hooks. Now, compare the same incidents costs to the public, and the impact on family members if you bring in a single volunteer search dog team, in a canoe to mark the location. The most expensive cost would be the diver's time and air.

EGO's
Recently Harry went through an ugly, painful experience. Two dog handlers who couldn't pass our strict standards, left MWSD and started up their own disaster dog team in Clark County, Washington. We will call them Waldo and Orca. Waldo and Orca started spreading lies and rumors about Harry and the MWSD teams. These two folks made 8 strong accusations against Harry. None related to search and rescue. Each of these were investigated fully by an outside investigator that was related to Waldo. Each were proven totally untrue.

When Harry demanded an apology from Waldo and Orca and asked them to set up a meeting with Harry to find out why they were making these statements, they refused to come forward with any real facts or evidence to support any of their allegations . To make a long story short, Harry hired an attorney, and Waldo and Orca have gotten the message, "Put up or shut up". The only thing we dogs can think of as to why Waldo and Orca spread these lies, was to try to make themselves look better. When I think of their unprofessional actions, it personally reminds me of what I deposit on the ground each day after dinner. So if you have some thing to say, make sure you can back it up with facts. We have.

RANGER'S GENTLE TOUCH
Each year I go visit the children's hospitals and retirement homes. But two years ago, I made a special friend. We were invited to our fourth annual Halloween party at the Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. There were a lot of kids there, and the other search dogs and I got lots of hugs and kisses. But during the party, this one little girl kept to herself, off in the distance. She had been scarred over 95% of her body by burns and had a disfigured face.
Her father held her under scalding hot water because she was screaming. This little child looked so lonely and sad. I wagged my tail in front of her, leaned up against her, and gave her a wet sloppy kiss. She was so shocked that someone, even me, a search and rescue dog, would want to be near her.

She wrapped her burned little arms around my neck and hugged me. She cried openly and out loud, I just laid in her arms until she quit crying. I stood up, wagged my tail and barked gently and kissed her face again.

Then she started laughing. The nurse grabbed Harry's arm and as she (the nurse) started crying, Harry asked the nurse, what was going on? The nurse replied with tears streaming down her face, this was the first time the girl had opened up to anyone and expressed emotions. She had been there for quite a long time. Wow, all I did was what every dog wants to do. I showed her I love people no matter what they look like on the outside. Each year we go back, and though I haven't seen Cindy again, there are lots of children just waiting for my love, hugs, kisses, and wagging tail .

THE SKUNK
When I was 3 years old, we were driving back from a trip to the beach, when I had to urge to commune with nature, be one with the plants and trees, go potty. So I whined, hey Harry how about pulling over near that rest stop? He got the message and pulled over. When he unhooked my seat belt, I was out of the truck and watering the nearby brush. All of a sudden, I caught a scent that made my tail curl. There was this funny looking cat with a white stripe down its back and it had black fur just like I did. Something told me that Harry needed to meet my new friend, so I barked. This brought Harry over to see what I was barking at.

Our new friend greeted us with a not so friendly tail wag of his own. He turned his tail towards the two of us and raised up on his hind legs, and whoa what a smell. Harry got the worst of it, because something told me it was time to go home. So I was on my way back to the truck, when this smelly dude sprayed Harry right in the face. After we got home we both took a long bath with this good smelling stuff called tomato sauce. Harry and I have not seen our new friend since then, but on each search, I keep my nose peeled for him.

BACHELOR PARTY
Harry and I have been invited to many of Portland's special dinners to be guest speakers. But this next event was very interesting. The local March of Dimes was raising money for kids who needed medical attention, so they asked Harry and I if we would participate in the Bid for Bachelors event. After much thought, 2 seconds worth, Harry said, sure. So the local newspaper ran a story on us, and then on a Saturday night, we lined up all dressed up in our tuxedos with 25 other top bachelors in the Portland area.

With all of these beautiful women bidding for us, wow what an ego trip. There was great music, great looking women, and the best thing was their yummy food. A catered snack just for me. At the end of the night, and plenty of champagne later, we were able to help raise over $10,000 dollars for the March of Dimes I'll go back for the food any day. It's better then Harry's cooking. Harry and I took the third highest bid. We got a really nice lady to bid on us. Really cute. Harry took her rock climbing. How unromantic can you get? No wonder he's still single. He said he wanted an event that was safe emotionally. Oh well.

HARRY AND I HELP SAVE SOME KIDS
On February 7, 1993, Harry, his son Brandon, and I were walking and playing along the beach in Seaside, Oregon. It was a foggy, cool day with quite a few people playing in the sand. As we got about one mile south of Seaside on the beach, we saw 5 kids and 2 adults playing near the water. The two adults were video taping their kids playing in ankle deep water in the ocean. This water is very cold, and the under current is very strong, so Harry was watching the kids closely, saying to his son Brandon, "That is really stupid of those parents allowing those kids to be in the water as cold as it is."

All of a sudden this huge wave came out of the ocean and caused an under tow (Riptide), which knocked the kids off their feet, and all were swept out into deep water. It happened so fast we could not believe it. All five kids were now swimming desperately for their lives, screaming and struggling against the current. Their parents immediately jumped in and grabbed a 9 year old boy and an 8 year old girl. The 13 year old girl made it back on her own. We saw a little 7 year old boy and a 9 year old girl heading way out to sea, so we went to work.

Harry threw his pager to his son, he keeps saying, he would love to toss it into the ocean, here was his opportunity...oh well, and he pointed to the girl who was 150 yards out to sea and ordered me to "go get" her. I swam as hard as I could while Harry swam out and brought the seven year old boy in. I reached the girl, who was barely swimming on the surface. Harry kept yelling to her to "Grab my harness", but she did not listen. So I circled her until she saw me and grabbed onto my fur, OUCH. I began to head into shore. When I was halfway there, her dad swam out and met me, and grabbed on to the tired, scared, little girl. Harry had just brought in the 7 year old boy, who was coughing and crying, when we got onto shore. Their parents thanked us.

We treated the kids for shock and hypothermia, then made a police report. One of the kids knew us from watching the TV show, "RESCUE 911." When it was all over with, we were very glad to have been in the right place at the right time. Boy that water was cold, but my training paid off. After we got home, I took a warm shower and curled up on the bed for the night. I felt really good inside knowing that we helped save 2 kids lives.

NOTE: Ranger and Harry were the first two search dog team members ever to win the NASAR's Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue Award. A very great honor.

"RANGER FINDS "KEECH" FIND #130"
On 03-13-94 at O93OHrs, my handler, "Harry" and I drove over to SE 4Oth & Woodstock St. in Portland, Oregon. "Keech" a 2 year old mutt mix had been missing since 03-10-94, and his owner wanted to see if I could use my keen sense of smell to track him in the city.

Harry introduced four strands of hair we found on Keech's blanket to me, and I tracked him for 4 hours into the city. We found him alive 5 miles away. Am I good or what? Keech was really happy to see his human family, Harry and me. Now here's the clincher. When I led Harry right up to the door where the scent led me, the lady opened the door and asked us if we were looking for this dog. The owners were overjoyed at finding their dog. What was more surprising, was that Keech had ridden in her car the whole route, and the track I followed was his scent escaping from the car. WOWSERS.

Harry's son, Brandon and a new SAR Dog Handler named Allison Davis, went with us that day and they were very happy with me. I even think old Harry was impressed. He didn't wipe the smile off his face for a week. Right before we did this search, a local newspaper did a story on me and my abilities to track people and lost/missing pets/animals. Harry and I received 74 telephone calls in two days after the story ran. It seems we are the first search dog team in the nation to look for missing pets/animals on a routine basis with the use of Search & Rescue skilled dog and handler teams.

From January 1994 to April 20, 1994 we ran 31 search and rescue missions for lost/missing pets/animals. Cats, dogs, and parrots. We've screened over 282 calls and located 8 pets by my scent detecting abilities and 20 pets by taking lost and found written reports, FOUR months worth of work. If you own a dog, cat, or animal (fur type) please have your veterinarian tattoo your last name and drivers license number on your pets stomach. This way if they get lost, injured, or if we find them dead, we can identify the owners, and notify them about their pet. Use the MICRO CHIPS that are inserted under your pet's coat.

They're another successful way of getting your pet home to you should it get lost or stolen. NEVER leave a choke chain or pinch collar on your animal. They often kill your pets. Duh....Choke them to death..Duh....How stupid can humans get?

The Child that was dieing.
Not all of our rescues take place in the wilderness. We were at the Oregon Coast at Camp Twin lakes doing one of our H.U.F.Y. presentations when I saw this boy about 9 years old in a wheel chair motion to me. He had very sad eyes.
I wagged my tail, ran up to him. He immediately hugged me and started crying. I stayed with him while Harry did the program. Afterwards, Harry walked up to us and asked him why he was crying? The young boy named Timmy, said I really like your dog. He's so neat, gentle, and sweet. Harry said, well that's nothing to cry about is it? You can see him again next year when we come back and lecture again. Timmy looked sadly into my eyes, and then into Harry's eyes and said, I won't be here next year. Harry said, why not? Timmy said, I only have three more months to live.



I looked at Harry as he crouched down next to Timmy putting his strong hands on Timmy's shoulder and said, as he wiped the tears from his eyes, are you sure? Timmy said he was dying from M.S. and his last request before he died, was to come to the summer camp, spend time with the kids, and to meet Harry and I one last time. He had seen our program a year before, and then the MS struck him down. Well by now, Harry was in tears. Harry gave the boy a hug, and prayed with him for his safe and peaceful return to God. I just sat there letting Timmy hold me, and pet me, while Harry and Timmy talked by the camp fire, way until dark time.

We got a letter from Timmy's mom and dad thanking us for our kindness to Timmy. They said he talked about nothing else but meeting me. And how loving I was to him. When he was dying he asked his mom if I, "Ranger" would be there in heaven when I died? His mom said, all animals are Gods gift of love to mankind, and yes he would see me again. When Harry got this letter he just sat down on the floor with me, held me tight, and cried for a very long time.
Thank you Timmy for sharing your last few days of life with us.

NOW A MESSAGE FROM HARRY.
With Kodi, Ranger, Valorie, Willow and Tyler, and I continue our struggles to serve mankind and our world, I wish to thank the many people who have given us their trust and support to carry on with our missions in life. God has given me some very special partners in life. Kodi my first search dog. Ranger my second partner, my third partner Ms. Valorie retired after 14-1/2 years of service and my current search dog partners Willow and Tyler. All together they documented over 7,289 search and rescue calls for missing persons and lost pets, documenting 3,418 finds of both missing persons and lost pets.

God has given each of us these skills, and the love to continue helping those in need, until our last dying breath. We need your support, both in writing letters, and in your prayers. I wish to especially thank the Skamania County Sheriff's office and DEM Director Nancy Sourek, and the Polk County Sheriff's Dept. Deputy Bill Sealy, Sheriff Ray Steele, and SAR Coordinator Dudley Berry, for their continued support. Without their patience and trust, we would not have been as successful, as we are today. Thank you.

Views and opinions expressed in this book are not necessarily the views of all search dog handlers in International K-9 Search and Rescue Services, formerly Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs. Everything stated, has been documented by video tape, cassette tape, and or written reports for future legal purposes should the need arise.

Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr. with SAR dogs Kodi, Ranger, Ms. Valorie, Ms Willow and Mr. Tyler.



EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS SEMINAR

SAR Dog Ranger searching a burnt out apartment complex in the Northridge California earthquake.

INTRODUCTION:
Mr. Harry E. Oakes, Jr., founder of the M.W.S.D. search dog program in the state of Oregon, and SW Washington, has been involved in Search & Rescue (SAR) since 1972. Mr. Oakes has been involved in the emergency medical field since 1976. Harry also was involved in Law Enforcement while an EMT and working and volunteering in SAR.

He is the founder of the International Response Team, Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, Search Rescue-Recovery-Disaster Response Teams and in 1997, Harry closed the non profit group of MWSD, and started a for profit business, called International K-9 Search and Rescue Services for Missing People and Pets.

SAR Dog Kodi

Harry has personally spent and or donated in services over $1,000,000.00 of his own money, since 1986, to perform these missions around the world.

"RANGER"
Ranger was a 7-1/2 year old Lab-Newfoundland, pound-puppy, spoiled-rotten mix. He was Mr. Oakes partner, and Harry's best friend. Since 1987 when Harry and his son Brandon, found and rescued Ranger from the dog pound, Ranger had logged over 370 Search & Rescue missions for 350 missing people and pets. He found 157 victims. 124 humans, 33 lost pets. 20,000 hours in training, testing and actual missions, and traveled over 250,000 miles.

Ranger is still today rated as one of the top SAR dogs in the world. He has twice been featured on the TV series "Rescue 911," and on 150 other TV and radio talk shows. Over 250 newspaper and magazine articles have been written on him, and the book "A CALL TO DUTY" is his life story, seen through his eyes as a Search and Rescue and Therapy Dog.

Ranger won hundreds of local and national awards including, the Paw Print Award at the Portland Zoo. He was inducted into the Oregon Pet Hall of Fame, and has received the KPTV "For Kids Sake Award" and the National Jefferson Award. He’s the only dog in the USA To wind the Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue award for helping Harry save two drowning kids on the Oregon Coast.

A toy company honored SAR Dog Ranger by making an image of him, as a beanie baby Rescue Dog. The first of it's kind in the nation. On Nov. 25, 1994, Ranger lost his struggle with medical related problems from old age, and he died in Harry's arms. On Nov. 25, 1994 a part of Harry died with the loss of Ranger.

"There is a new star in the sky tonight. It shines my way through the night, to guide me to where I must go. It's brightness and warmth that it provides, is the same brightness and warmth that was shared to all who knew Ranger here on earth. I know its Ranger still guiding my way through life’s wilderness, to show me the way. " I lost my best friend today, the world lost a true hero. Ranger Oakes 1987-1994.

Funeral memorial services were held Dec. 1, 1994 for Mountain Wilderness Search and Rescue Dog Ranger Oakes. He was 7-1/2 years old. He is survived by his handler and best friend, Harry E. Oakes Jr. His human brother, Brandon E. Oakes, and his dog sister, SAR dog In training, Valorie Elizabeth Oakes. Services were held at the Parkrose Community Church. There was standing room only at his memorial services. People whom Ranger had saved, pets and their partners were there too.

Ranger, a Newfoundland, mix was rescued from the Multnomah County Animal Control Shelter in Troutdale, Oregon in 1987. On 02-18-88 Ranger performed his first search mission in Skamania County, Washington for a drowning victim. He located her in 4 minutes. He traveled to 26 states and six countries to perform his missions.

When he wasn't working, he was helping Harry teach children and adults how to be safe through the Help Us Find You search and rescue safety programs. Ranger did over 1,035 school, camps, and church programs. Even today, I have kids and parents approach me to tell me how much they miss him. A true honor for a true hero. Ranger also visited sick and injured children in local area hospitals and the elderly in nursing homes.

When he wasn't working, he was playing Tug of War or fetch the tennis ball with his brother Brandon or his sister Valorie. Valorie is a border collie, skiperkee, kelpie mutt mix. She was saved from the Corvallis, Oregon area. Not only was Ranger a fantastic search dog, but he was my best friend and partner. he loved his work, and all of the people he meant. He was truly a gift to all of the world from God, and now he is safe in heaven where he will be playing and resting until it is my time to join him.

"Ranger we love you and miss you dearly. The world has lost a gentle giant and I have lost a love of my life. God bless you and be safe. Love, hugs, and kisses, your partner, friend, handler, and dad. Harry.

You can read about Valorie's work in my next book called "Scent Evidence". There are more amazing stories of courage, search and rescue missions, and more stupidity on behalf of some sheriffs, that has cost more lives.

DEFINITION OF AN EARTHQUAKE:
"A series of vibrations in the earth's crust." Have you ever been in an earthquake? If you live in the Northwest, you have probably been in many quakes without realizing it. While some quakes move the ground slowly from side to side, others jerk the ground very hard all around. The Richter scale is a device used in measuring the movement of the earth's crust. The Richter Scale is measured in tens. A Richter 4 is a mild quake that most people feel, but usually it does no damage. In a Richter 5 quake, the ground shakes ten times as much as the ground of a Richter 4, etc.

An 8 is the strongest measurement on the Richter Scale, because rocks cannot withstand strains larger than this without breaking. What causes the quakes? Scientists (geologists) have studied the earth's crust and found that the earth is made up of plates of rock several miles thick and many miles across. These are called TECTONIC PLATES. When the plates move, the earth "quakes." The rocky plates can move over the surface three ways, away from each other, towards each other, or beside each other side to side.

FACT: We will probably experience a quake in our area with a strength of 8.5 or stronger within the next 10 years.

DISASTER EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
___ Water 20 Gallons/person. ___ First Aid Kit w/book
___ Food, one months worth ___ Can Opener (non-electric)
___ Blankets. ___ Portable Radio
___ Spare Batteries-2O ___ Medications
___ Fire Extinguisher ___ Flashlight
___ Watch ___ Money
___ Sturdy Boots ___ Heavy Gloves
___ Candles ___ Matches
___ Clothes x 3 weeks worth ___ Knife or Razor Blades
___ Tent ___ Hat or Cap
___ Fuel for Cooking ___ Heavy Aluminum Foil
___ Trash Bags x 40 ___ Bar Soap x 2
___ Shampoo ___ Hygiene Supplies
___ Household Bleach ___ Ax, Shovel
___ Wrench ___ Screwdriver
___ Pliers ___ Hammer
___ Plastic Tape ___ 50 ft. Coil of Rope
___ Plastic Sheeting ___ Pen and Paper
___ Toys for Children ___ Duct Tape X 4

*** Enough supplies for everyone in the family for one month ***

A basic First Aid Kit includes: Sterile gauze squares, roller gauze, plain absorbent gauze pads, eye pads, triangular bandages, assorted band aids, adhesive tape, small scissors, tweezers, thermometer, tongue blades and wooden applicator sticks, petroleum jelly, safety pins and soap.

You may assemble these items or buy a pre-packaged First Aid Kit from the American Red Cross.

STORING EMERGENCY SUPPLIES:
Store all supplies in one location. Store your supplies outside your home, either in a shed or buried in the back yard. Keep them inside a plastic or rubber trash can. If that's not possible, then choose a place in your home, which would be relatively safe in time of disaster, such as a closet or under a bed. Perishable supplies will remain stable longer if stored in a cool dark location.

Photo of Harry and Ranger being thanked by President Aquino. This photo taken after Harry and Ranger worked the 1990 Philippine Earthquake where they located 59 victims dead and helped treat over 300 injured.

ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES:
Have enough plywood to cover each window in the home that is broken. Chimney repair kit. (Rope and a large tarp). Camping supplies-tent, sleeping bags, cooking stove and fuel. Glowlite (Camulite) sticks X 30. Food etc..

WATER TIPS. Store a (4) week’s supply of water for each member of the household, including pets. To purify water, use any of the following methods: Boil for five to ten minutes. Or, add 10 drops of household bleach, which contains 5.25% hypo chlorite according to the following table:
Amount of Water Clear Water Cloudy Water
1 quart 2 drops 4 drops
1 gallon 8 drops 16 drops
5 gallons 1/2 tsp. 1 tsp.

You may also use purification tablets available at any drug store. If water is not stored, learn how to remove the water in the hot water heater. Be sure to turn off your gas or electricity to the tank, before draining off water for emergency use.

EARTHQUAKE PRECAUTIONS
Many people think of California as "Earthquake Country." However, 343 earthquakes, large enough to be felt occurred throughout the United States during 1983 alone. The largest historic earthquake to strike the continental US occurred far away from California in New Madrid, Missouri. The motion and ground movement in an earthquake is frightening, but not dangerous in itself. The greatest hazard is from falling objects. The worse hazard is ignorance. Thinking, "It won't happen to me". Be prepared by securing heavy appliances, furniture, mirrors, and large pictures, to wall studs. Move heavy items to low shelves. Install latch devices on cabinet doors.

If you're indoors during an earthquake stay there. Duck, Cover, and Hold. Get under a table, desk or bed. Watch for flying and sliding objects. Stay away from windows. Keep your eyes closed during the quake to protect yourself from flying glass.

If you're outdoors, move to an open area, away from buildings, trees, power poles, brick or block walls, and other objects that could fall. Lay down and cover your head and face. Keep your eyes closed.

If you're in an automobile, stop and stay in it, until the shaking stops. Do not stop near trees and power lines, on or under overpasses. Do not touch downed power lines or objects touched by downed lines.

Keep three days supply of food, shelter, warmth (clothing, blankets, etc.), water and toilet paper in your car. In case you're stuck or have to walk home.

After the quake, be prepared for more aftershocks. Get your supplies. Help as many of your neighbors as you can.

WINTER STORMS AND BLIZZARDS
Be prepared for the inevitable cold weather and winter storms. Start with your car. Put a winter storm kit in the trunk of your car, which includes the following, all of the above listed supplies and ad:
Shovel Ice Scraper and Brush Sand Booster Cables Flashlight First Aid Kit Compass Matches Road Flares Candle in a deep can Hat Gloves
Blanket Sleeping bag.

If you are home during a winter storm, be prepared to wait it out. Have the emergency supplies on hand mentioned earlier.

The consequences of power and heating failure in subzero weather, can be reduced in two ways: you can protect your home against frost damage before leaving it for a warmer location, or you can take precautions, by having an emergency standby heating system, which will permit continued occupancy throughout the emergency. In the event of a power failure, it is important to have an alternate heating source if you plan to stay in the house. Be sure to check with local authorities before arranging for installation of an emergency generator for furnaces, appliances or lighting.

If you have a fireplace, keep a good supply of fuel on hand. Have a flashlight, lantern, candles and matches or other emergency lighting devices stored in a handy place. Have a battery powered radio and spare batteries to keep you informed. Remember that even in very cold weather, a house with doors and windows closed will not become unendurable for several hours. If you have a vented alternate heating unit, or fireplace, start it before the house gets too cold. Keep a few gallons of antifreeze available to protect plumbing fixtures from freezing if the system cannot be drained.

AFTER A DISASTER, put on heavy boots immediately to avoid injury from stepping on glass and other debris. Check for injuries to yourself and others, and give first aid. Check for fire hazards. Sniff for gas leaks, starting at the hot water heater. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main valve, open windows and carefully leave the house. DO NOT TURN LIGHTS ON OR OFF, LIGHT MATCHES, OR DO ANYTHING THAT MAKES A SPARK. Do not shut off the gas unless an emergency exists. If time permits, call the gas company or qualified plumber. Do not turn it back on until it inspected.

If water leaks are suspected, shut off the main water valve. If damage to electrical system is suspected, frayed wires, sparks, or the smell of hot insulation, turn off system at main circuit breaker or fuse box.

Check on your neighbors. Turn on the radio and listen for advisories. Locate a light source if necessary. Do not touch downed power lines or objects touched by downed wires. Clean up harmful material.

Check to see that sewage lines are intact before flushing toilets. Check the house, roof, and chimney for damage. Check emergency supplies.

Do not use phone except for genuine emergencies. Do not go sightseeing. Be prepared for after shocks if there was an earthquake. Open closets and cupboards carefully.

Cooperate with public safety officials and be prepared to evacuate if necessary. If you evacuate, post a message telling where you can be found. Take first aid supplies, flashlight, important papers and cash, food, blankets, and clothing.

Don't wait to get prepared. We could get hit today, or tonight while your sleeping in bed. Prepare now.

Be prepared for looters. Over 95% of the population are not prepared for a disaster. People will use very poor judgment during disaster times. The American Red Cross shelters will be overwhelmed within the first 4 hours.

Home or business inspection visits are available upon request. Instructor Mr. Harry Oakes, International Search & Rescue Instructor, Coordinator, has 32 years in SAR.

The following list of missions are related to disaster responses by Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr. Documentation taken from the 1986 to 1998 Mission stats record for Mr. Oakes. These missions are strictly disaster responses, and do not include 3,885 other documented Search and Rescue missions conducted by Mr. Oakes and his search dog teams, over the years to date.

05-16-86 86-001 Clack. Co. Mt. Hood Climbing Accident-OES school incident. Total 48 Hours 145 Miles.

12-07-88 88-025 Armenia Earthquake, USSR. We were able to send two teams in with Seattle King Co. Disaster teams. We also sent $3000.00 dollars worth of medical supplies in with NW Medical teams. Worked as Logistics officer and K-9 SAR Coordinator. Total 14 days.

10-17-89 89-022 San Francisco, California Earthquake. DEM Sacramento Calif. Worked as K-9 Disaster Operations I.C. and Consultant liaison, to local K-9 SAR Teams. Total 72 Hours.

06-16-90 90-007 Shadysville, Ohio floods. H.Oakes worked as consultant with Fire Dept. on use of K-9 resources and how to use them effectively for locating bodies. Total 48 hours.

07-18-90 90-013 Philippine Earthquake Teams:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. We flew as part of the Seattle King Co. Disaster team. We located 25 sites where 59 dead victims were recovered. Per Lt. From SOG Special Forces Task Force. Also assisted in grief therapy and first aid of injured. Total 240 Hours 17,566 Miles.

04-23-91 91-011 Coasta Rica Earthquake Disaster Standby. Team:H.Oakes SAR Dog Ranger. Results: Worked as consultant to the LA Counsel ate. Total 34 Hours.

05-29-92 92-172-014 Airplane Crash. Yakataga, Alaska. I was asked to coordinate SAR efforts from here by Yamhill Co. D.A.'s office. We worked off map and plotted aircraft's altitude, air speed, weight, course, and PLS. Gave CAP search areas. Total 14 Hours 110 Miles. (N69469).

01-17-94 94-267-005 Northridge LA Ca. Earthquake. Mutual Aid Cleared assigned areas by Orange Co. SAR. Assisted in Grief therapy. Team:H.Oakes/Ranger J.Burgett/Brandy. Total 164 Hours 2810 Miles.

06-08-94 94-321-058 Bogotá, Columbia Consultant to Counsel ate ref: Earthquake. 250 DOA 850 missing. Total 48 hours.

09-21-94 94-354-091 New Guinea Island Volcano and quake. Consultant to Washington DC Embassy. Total 47 hrs.

01-16-95 95-408-004 Disaster S/B Kobe, Japan, Earthquake. Acted as NW US Delegate for our SAR teams and arraigned to have 25 members from N.W. MED Teams, and 4 USAR K-9 Teams from MWSD, to respond. United Airlines donated the airline tickets. Japanese government refused help from all US Sources. Total 54 hours donated to efforts.

4-19-95 95-458-054 Oklahoma City Bombing-Disaster, Private Response, Federal Murrah Bldg Bombing. Teams:H.Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. , Becky Nimmo SAR Dog Quigley, Charlie Irving Support. Valorie hit on four areas. Fire Dept told me later they found 4 dead kids and 6 adult body parts where our dogs alerted. Totals: 258 Hours 4866 Miles Also went to St. Anthony’s Hospital, and worked in pet assisted, grief therapy for the injured survivors.

95-614-209 12-01-95 Missing Aircraft B.C. Canada. Aircraft from Oregon's Hessel Corp. Meeting with Hessel President and offered our services for SAR. We were assigned as a Grief Therapy Team for the families.

95-626-221 12-12-95 Major Winter Ice Storm, Portland, Oregon. Clack. Co. Inspected areas where trees crashed down in houses. Stopped in at Lake Oswego HS Grief Therapy. People who lost their houses. Total 4 Hours 60 Miles.

96-673-029(A). 02-08- 09-96 Clark Co. Floods. Total 40 Hours.

96-676-032(A). 02-11-96 Marion Co. Hwy 99E Flood related drownings X 2. Oregon State Police request. Teams: H.Oakes SAR Dog Valorie, and SSSAR (x) 2. Victims. Gonon, Satey and Santiago Alblino, HMA's drowned when their vehicle went off road into a flooded onion field. We made 2 passes. Valorie located both on second pass. 100 feet down stream from PLS. OSP Advised. Total 14 Hours.

06-25-96 96-777-133 Saudi Arabia Bombing Counsel ate Consultant. 4 hours.

07-29-96 96-800-156 Long Island, NY TWA Crash. TWA. Teams on Standby. Total 40 Hours.

08-26-29-96 96-821-177 Deschutes Co. Bend, Ore. Skeleton Fire Support Mission. Worked with Humane Society of Central Oregon. Ref: Missing animals and livestock from fire. Grief Therapy for families. Found numerous dead and live pets after the fires. Total: 90 Hours.

11-22-96 96-897-253 Puerto Rica Bombing. Gomez and Oakes on S/B. K-9 Consultant to Counsel ate. Total 2 hours.

11-28-96 Grief therapy mission. Request came in from Hessel Corp. re: Airplane crash family survivors. Total 1 hour.

07-12-97 97-1036-113 Earthquake S/B Venezuela South America. Contacted Miami Counsel ate. Consultant for 24 hours.

08-07-98 98-1249-114 Africa two car bombings US Embassy. Teams on S/B. Offered services to White House. Totals: 1hr/ S/B. H/SBM#1509/V-ABM#1066.

11-10-98 98-1301-165 We flew two K-9 teams to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. K-9-1 H. Oakes SAR dog Valorie and K-9-2. Michelle Keating with SAR Dog Yogi. After Hurricane Mitch struck. We were the only search dog teams from the USA, to respond to Honduras. We found 25 victims dead, and treated 5 injured. Victims were buried under 40 feet of mud, rock, dirt, and storm debris.

Many more disasters on file. Write us for current updated list.

Go to www.k9sardog.com to view lists.

Be safe out there.

Thank You.

Respectfully,
Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr.

REMBERING OUR FOUR LEGGED HERO'S.
Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr. is the founder of the Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, which is now known as the International K-9 Search and Rescue Services. Harry has been involved in SAR (Search and Rescue) since 1972. Harry is a former police officer of 10 years, Search and Rescue Coordinator for Morrow County Sheriff's Office, and a former state certified EMT. Harry developed the search dog program in the state of Oregon in 1986 while he was a member of Portland Mountain Rescue. Harry later became an instructor for Polk County Sheriff's Office for Search and Rescue.

SAR Deputy Harry Oakes with Morrow County Sheriff’s Department Heppner, Oregon

Harry now teaches privately all aspects of search and rescue. K-9 SAR dogs, man tracking, urban disaster search and rescue, mountain rescue, high angle rope rescue, swift water rescue, and outdoor winter, summer, urban, wilderness, desert, jungle and water survival.

Kodi was Harry's first search dog. Kodi was a black lab. He started in search and rescue work at the age of 3 and loved his work. Kodi conducted over 40 search and rescue missions in the NW for missing climbers and skiers and children. Finding 31 victims. Sadly Kodi died and is now in Heaven.

Ranger was Harry's second search dog. Harry with his son Brandon, found Ranger in the Multnomah County animal control dog pound and saved him. They trained him for all aspects of search and rescue. During his 7 1/2-year career, Ranger, a spoiled rotten Lab Newfoundland pound puppy, documented over 370 search and rescue missions for 350 missing persons and pets. He found 124 missing humans and 33 missing pets. He also documented over 20,000 hours of training, testing and actual missions and traveled over 250,000 miles around the world to perform search and rescue.



Ranger to this day is rated as one of the top search and rescue dogs in the history of search and rescue. He has twice been featured on the TV Series "Rescue 9-1-1". He was featured on over 150 TV and radio talk shows. Over 250 newspaper and magazine articles were written about "Ranger". A book "A Call to DUTY" is his life story seen through his eyes as a search and rescue dog. He won the National Jefferson Award, The KPTV For Kids Sake Award, The Oregon Pet Hall of Fame Award, and he is the only dog in the history of search and rescue to win the National NASAR's Higgens and Langley Swift Water Rescue Award for helping Harry save 2 drowning children off the Oregon Coast in the Pacific Ocean near Seaside, Oregon.

Safari Ltd has honored "Ranger" by making an Angel Animal beanie baby replica of him. The first it 's kind in the nation. On Nov. 25, 1994, Ranger lost his struggle with medical related problems and from old age and he died in Harry's arms. On this day, a part of Harry died with the loss of Ranger. Here's what Harry wrote for Rangers funeral service.

"There is a new star in the sky tonight. It shines my way through the night, to guide me to where I must go. It's brightness and warmth that is provides, is the same brightness and warmth that was shared to all who knew Ranger here on earth. I know its Ranger still guiding my way through life's wilderness. To show me the way. I lost my best friend today, the world lost a true hero. Ranger Oakes 1987-1994".

Funeral memorial services were held Dec. 1, 1994 for Mountain Wilderness Search Dog Ranger Oakes. The service was held at Parkrose Community Church and there was standing room only for his service. He performed his first search mission in 02-18-1988, and found the victim dead in less then four minutes. He performed his last search mission Nov. 24, 1994 and found that victim also. When he wasn't' working, he was helping Harry teach children and adults how to be safe through the Help Us Find You search and rescue safety program. Ranger performed over
1,035 school, church, camp and safety fair programs. Even today I have kids and their parents approach me to tell me how much they miss him.

He loved playing "Tug of war" with his human brother Brandon and his dog sister "Valorie". Not only was Ranger a fantastic search dog, but also he was my best friend and partner. He loved his work and all of the people he meant. He worked the Philippine Earthquake, Northridge CA earthquake, and numerous other disasters around the world. He was truly a gift to the entire world from GOD. and now he is safe in Heaven where he will be playing and resting until It is my time to join him. Ranger we love you and miss you dearly, the world has lost a gentle giant, and I have lost the love of my life. God bless you and be safe. Love, hugs, and kisses, your partner, friend, handler, and dad. Harry.
Last Night I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep. I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here." I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me. I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more. I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there. I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said " it's me." You looked so tired, and sank into a chair.

I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there. It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday, to say to you with certainty, "I never went away." You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you. The day is over and as you climb the stairs I smile and watch you yawning and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning." And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide, I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side. I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see. Be patient, live your journey out then come home to be with me.


Ranger,

Rest in peace my dear friend. You are in my heart forever.

Love
Harry.

We are NOT 1 501C-3. We are in fact a FOR PROFIT Professional K-9 SAR Dog team based in Longview, Wa. We do donate our own time and services to look for missing children and adults and pets in Times of disasters.

If you wish to support Harry and his search dogs, you can send a gift to
Mr. Oakes C/O I.K.9.S.A.R.S. P.O. Box# 1472 Longview, Washington 98632 USA.

I'll be there.

Over mountains, over trees, over oceans, over seas, across the desert, I'll be there.

In a whisper on the wind, on the smile of a new friend, just think of me, and I'll be there.

Don't be afraid, oh my love, I'll be watching you from above, and I'd give all the world tonight to be with you. Because I'm on your side and I still care, I may have died but I've gone no where, just think of me and I'll be there.

On the edge of a waking dream, over rivers over streams, through wind and rain, I'll be there. Across the wide and open sky, thousands of miles I'd fly to be with you I'll be there.

Don't be afraid oh my love, I'll be watching you from above, and I'd give all the world tonight to be with you.

Because I'm on your side, and I still care, I may have died, but I've gone nowhere. Just think of me and I'll be there. In the breath of a wind that sighs, oh there's no need to cry, just think of me and I'll be there.


Read Harry’s other books.

“A Call to Duty”.

“Valorie’s Valor”

“HUFY Coloring Book”

“Forensic Scent Evidence”.

www.k9sardog.com





SAR Dog Valorie Oakes K-9-1. May 1, 1994 – Jan-09-2009.

On 01-09-09 at 1450hrs. SAR Dog Valorie Elizabeth Oakes died in her partner’s Harry Oakes’ arms from a stroke and complication of old age.

SAR Dog Valorie worked for 14 1-2 years with Harry Oakes in Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs and International K-9 Search and Rescue Services.

Before SAR Dog Valorie’s retirement and death, she documented 5,876 SAR Mission callouts for missing persons and lost pets. She had 1,651 documented finds & assisted finds of people, pets, suspect identifications, and evidence.

(All these findings have been reviewed and verified by an independent auditing firm).

Photographs of both Harry and Valorie can be reviewed in People Magazine Nov. 30, 98 issue page# 61.

Valorie was saved from a dog rescue facility in Corvallis, Oregon. She was a Schiperkee, border collie, and Mutt Mix. Found wandering the streets of Corvallis, Ore. in 1994 at the tender age of 5 months old.

SAR Dog Valorie documented finds of dead victims (humans) in the Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster in 1995.

She assisted in the search for missing pets after the Skeleton Fires in Bend, Oregon.

She documented finds of 29 dead humans in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998.

She also found victims in both the 8/99 and 11/99 Turkey Earthquakes. Finding 71 dead and 14 alive. (humans). One of her best live saves was a 10 year old child buried 32 feet down in the rubble pile in Turkey who had been laying next to her dead mother for 10 days with no food or water. “SAR Dog Valorie kept alerting and we kept digging. For 8 hours straight until we found her. Doctors without borders had to amputate the child’s legs to save her but she’s alive today because of Valorie”.

Val had quite a gift at finding people buried in dirt, snow, rubble and even in the water.

SAR Dog Valorie was used in every state in the USA for a mission regarding a missing person or lost pet.

SAR Dog Valorie assisted Harry in a search for a missing Alzheimer patient in Cabo, Mexico and was able to determine what happened to him.

She determined what happened to a missing 18-year-old American missionary in Dominican Republic Bay of Eagles. She documented numerous searches in Canada. St. Thomas, and St Croix USVI.

SAR Dog Valorie assisted Harry in teaching K-9 SAR to the teams in Turkey after the 1999 earthquake and to the teams in St. Croix USVI.

Valorie flew over 650 times in cabin in commercial and military aircraft to and from search and rescue missions.

SAR Dog Valorie is the first search dog ever to be allowed into Jamaica for a search mission. She was successful in finding evidence and identifying a murder suspect in the case. This documented by the Miami office of the FBI forensic teams.

Photo of Harry and Valorie SAR Dog Valorie resting
SAR Dog Valorie and Harry in the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Book cover written about Valorie’s work in Oklahoma City.

SAR Dog Valorie working an Avalanche.

SAR Dog Valorie and Harry resting in the Turkey quake.



Ms. Valorie has traveled around the world twice, with Harry performing search and rescue. When Harry and Valorie weren’t working Search and Rescue calls, SAR Dog Valorie assisted Harry in his child safety programs called HUFY (Help Us Find You), which teaches children City, and Wilderness Survival tips. From Stranger Danger to being safe and helping us find you when
Ms. Valorie was Harry's personal dog as well.

She was saved from the dog rescue group in Corvallis, Ore. in 1994. Harry trained her for all aspects of search and rescue to include searches in and for: People and Animals, kidnapping's, evidence finds, homicide searches, Rock-Snow-Mud-Sand-Building Debris Avalanches. Day or Night searches in Mountain Wilderness, Glaciers, Crevasses for Mountain Rescue missions. Jungles, Bayou's, Urban, Desert, Fresh and Salt water Ocean drowning victims, transportation accidents, Bombings, Fires, Floods, Tornados, Earthquakes, Storms.

In April of 1995, Ms. Valorie responded privately with her handler Harry, to the Oklahoma City Bombing Disaster. Valorie has been credited for finding 10 dead victims remains there and assisted in Pet Assisted Therapy at St. Anthony’s Hospital for 5 survivors and their families.

Valorie was given full credit by DATELINE NBC report “Into Thin Air” regarding her alerts and Harry’s report to the FBI and Oregon City PD on Ashley Pond remains buried under cement in the Ward Weaver case in Oregon City, Ore.

SAR Dog Valorie's favorite food was a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich from McDonalds.
Her favorite TV Show is M.A.S.H. re-runs. Valorie slept in Harry's bed and was spoiled rotten.

She always wore her seat belt when flying inside the airplane and traveling in a vehicle. Her seat belt ran through her harness. Valorie got her teeth brushed every day and a full body massage after every mission.

“Today the world lost a HERO and I lost my friend and the love of my life”

Harry Oakes C/O International K 9 Search and Rescue Services.

International K-9 SAR Services PO Box# 1472 Longview, Washington 98632 USA. C/O Valorie Memorial.

If you wish to make a donation to your local K9 Search and Rescue team, or Humane Society in memory of Ms. Valorie Elizabeth Oakes Search dog and Hero that would be appreciated as well.
SAR Dog Valorie’s last trip to the Oregon Coast. She loved to bark, dig and play.

Thank You.

Respectfully,
Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr.
Her Handler, Partner, and Friend.


More info available on myspace.com Harry Oakes / K9 SAR.








Photo of SAR Dog Willow.
SAR Dog Tyler


Harry E. Oakes Jr. SAR Dog Kodi, SAR Dog Ranger, SAR Dog Valorie, SAR Dog Willow and SAR Dog Tyler.