Heartland K9 Search Teams - Pup Assist

06/02/2026

🌟 Team Spotlight: Lucy-Lu 🌟

Lucy was absolutely rocking it at training this past Saturday! 🐾

Anyone who has watched Lucy work knows one thing for certain—that dog has an amazing nose! From the moment she acquires odor, Lucy demonstrates the focus, determination, and natural trailing ability that make her such a pleasure to watch on the trail.

What makes Lucy special isn't just her ability to find people; it's the confidence and consistency she brings to every scenario. Combined with Chalisa's dedication to training, this team continues to set a high standard and prove what can be accomplished through hard work and trust in the process.

👏 Great work, Team Lucy-Lu! Keep doing what you're doing.

As always, a huge thank you to our volunteer decoys who make this training possible. Every person willing to hide helps our K9 teams gain the experience they need to be ready when someone truly needs to be found.

06/01/2026

🌟 Team Spotlight: Team B2 (Jarika & Bud) 🌟

Bud was absolutely rocking it at training this past Saturday! 🐾

From the moment he hit the trail, Bud showed why consistent training pays off. Working with confidence, enthusiasm, and determination, he continued to build on the skills that are transforming him into a capable K9 Search Team partner.

Of course, anyone who knows Bud knows he's not just looking for a missing person... he's also looking for a little love when he gets there! ❤️🐕

It's been amazing to watch the progress this team has made. Not long ago Bud was just a young pup learning the basics, and now he's confidently working trails and finding hidden decoys in a variety of environments.

👏 Great work, Team B2! Keep up the hard work and dedication.

As always, a huge thank you to our volunteer decoys who make these training opportunities possible. Every trail helps prepare our teams for the day they are needed most.

Send a message to learn more

05/31/2026

🌟 Team Spotlight: Cori & Midnight 🌟

What a great day at Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife Area for Team Cori & Midnight! 🐾

Midnight absolutely rocked it yesterday, continuing to build confidence, focus, and trailing skills with every scenario. It has been exciting to watch this team grow, and their hard work is starting to show in a big way.

Trailing is all about trust, teamwork, and learning to work through challenges together. Cori and Midnight continue to show dedication to the process and a willingness to learn, which is exactly how strong K9 Search Teams are built.

👏 Great work, Team Cori & Midnight! Keep up the momentum—we're looking forward to seeing what you accomplish next.

As always, thank you to our volunteer decoys who make this training possible. Your support allows our teams to gain the real-world experience they need to be ready when time matters.

05/30/2026

🌟 Heartland K9 Search Teams Training Spotlight 🌟

Today was a beautiful day to get outside and run some short, fun trails! 🐾☀️

All four of our K9s did an amazing job, and everyone had a great time. One of the best parts of the day was seeing the smiles on the kids' faces as they watched the dogs do what they love most—find people!

While today was fun, the purpose behind our training is serious. We train every week to prepare for real-world operations alongside our Fire Department and Emergency Management partners.

Recently, our teams participated in:
✅ A Joint Training Event with local emergency responders May 23rd at Ox Bow Park
✅ A Mother's Day May 10th callout (Person Found)
✅ A Memorial Day May 25th callout (Person Found)

In both cases, the missing persons were located in less than 24 hours.

The reason our teams can maintain this level of readiness is because of the incredible support from our volunteer decoys. Every person who takes the time to hide helps our K9s gain valuable experience and prepares them for the day someone needs them. When Time Matters!

If you're interested in helping our teams train by volunteering as a decoy, we'd love to hear from you. No special experience is required—just a willingness to spend some time outdoors and help our K9 teams improve.

📩 Reach out to us through Facebook Messenger for more information.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, families, supporters, and community partners. We couldn't do this without you.

05/28/2026

We’re looking for 4 volunteers to venture into wooded areas and hide for 1hr - 1.5 hr along scenic trails, helping our new K9 search teams in training. If you’re interested send us a message
on Facebook chat for details—RSVP required.

05/26/2026

As we wrap up the Memorial Day weekend, our focus shifts to the upcoming training weekend for our basic trailing class. The joint training scenario with Heartland K9 Search Teams, Concord fire dept, Cleveland Township Fire Department and Christian Aid Minitries on Saturday yielded excellent results. We now seek community volunteers to participate as decoys, which is vital to our training progression. This Saturday afternoon at Kingsbury, we need 2-6 individuals to volunteer as decoys. Please send a message for more information if interested.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day we honor all those who took their last breath in honor of our country and freedom. Their sacrifice is held in our hearts and we honor them today and everyday.
"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid.
They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." - President Harry
S. Truman