Karin TarQwyn the K9PI at Lost Pet Professionals

Operation Kickstart - Rest in Peace… Frankie
Orcas Island, Washington


Last night… I was just shutting down my computer when the call came in. Frankie, a 9-month-old golden doodle was missing on Orcas Island in Washington. The young dog had been seen at her mountain home and then just disappeared.
The whole island was alerted, and everyone was looking for Frankie.

Instead of closing down for the night that little voice told me to call… and I did. Frankie’s mom explained that the family was devastated and right at the moment, she was at the hospital with her husband on the mainland. They needed help… could I come?

After reviewing the case, I realized that Orcas Island is a three-day drive, and the family needed help now. The terrain was steep and dropped to the water of the bay hundreds of feet below. I was concerned.

Jackie, Frankie’s mom, mentioned that although she was at the hospital right then, her daughter, Allaire had come home to help search. Could I talk with her daughter? I said yes.

While talking with Allaire, she let me know that along with Frankie the family had another dog, Banks, a smart and self-assured labradoodle.
I thought Banks was going to be our best hope.

Over the phone, I trained Allaire in Associative Response Tracking. As I have said in the past this does not work with every dog but sometimes, I get a feeling and decide to pursue it in certain cases.
I instructed Allaire on how to choose the best scent article and then how to prep it to get the biggest scent hit upon presentation. She followed directions to the T.

Allaire and Banks headed out to the spot I had chosen by aerial. She began the motivator phrase and then presented the scent as I instructed. Banks immediately moved forward… he clearly understood the assignment. He tracked down the mountain road and then turned off and tracked down the mountain into the woods. He then stopped.

Allaire looked around as I had instructed if Banks stopped or looked at her. She was heartbroken. Banks had led her to Frankie but unfortunately Frankie was deceased. It’s not clear what happened, but the young dog was constantly catching and eating rats, squirrels and mice. It is probable she had a fatal reaction to sick prey.

This technique will not work with every case but is one of the actions I may implement based on the situation and the case review.

My condolences go out to the family and special thanks to Banks for bringing closure to his family.
Rest in peace Frankie.

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"A missing pet is an EMERGENCY... and I can HELP!"
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My STORY... How I became the K9PI.
Losing Jack and Finding A New Life
by Karin TarQwyn

When I moved to Oklahoma, the ranch I purchased had two country dogs living on it. They belonged to no one, and they felt they ran the place. I really think they spent a lot of time laughing at us green horns that first year. One of the dogs was an Australian Heeler cross and the little guy just wiggled his way into my heart. We were buds and compatriots. I still don’t know why. I called him Jack and have never felt like I was his owner. He elected to stay living at the ranch and he made it clear that we should feel lucky he decided to stick around. I was glad he did.

In February of that first year, we had the worst storm I have ever experienced. From the first clap of thunder, I knew something had happened to Jack. My family thought I was crazy, as I ran up and down the pastures in gale force winds and rain screaming for him. This was Jack, the country dog, he knew his way around storms and lightning, but I knew something was wrong. He didn't show up for dinner and I spent most of the night driving, hiking and calling for him.

He still was not back the next morning. I woke with grief and panic unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was inconsolable and unable to do much of anything. My thoughts were unclear, and depression just sat down on me. I had lost close family members and friends, but I had never experienced the grief I went through when Jack disappeared. Here I was an investigator with a trained search dog, and I had no idea how to find my friend. My search and rescue dog had been trained not to ever follow the scent of an animal and his training held; he would only look for people not Jack. I was a mess. I did not find Jack and I was convinced that he had been killed trying to scamper back to the farm house.

Jack did finally get home but not because of my fantastic investigative skills or through anything other than an act of God. In what could surely be an episode out of Lassie Come Home, Jack was found. This is his story pieced together by different people and events that unfolded after his return:

While crossing the pasture, a bolt of lightning smacked the earth followed by a loud clap of thunder, Jack, afraid of thunder, panicked and ran for the ranch house but the creek had risen 25 feet and was about to come up over its banks. Jack most likely tried to run across a log as I had seen the acrobatic mutt do many times. But the creek was now a river, and it was moving fast; Jack probably misjudged it and fell in the raging torrent.

I knew this part of the story on Jack’s second day missing because, believe it or not, Jack's friend the other country dog, Sam a feral German Shepherd cross, brought me to the river the next morning when he saw me crying. The half wild dog wanted me to follow him, which I reluctantly did. Sam would walk about fifty feet then stop and sit until I caught up with him and then he would walk another fifty feet until we had traversed the quarter mile it took to get to the river. Sam then went and sat down at a log and howled as he pointedly stared down stream. I knew then that Sam was trying to let me know that Jack had fallen in. It was unbelievable at the time, but I did later find that Sam was right.

Jack was washed down the river one and half miles and somehow managed to swim his way out of the raging river. He was then picked up by a passing motorist who saw him lying along the side of the road and thought he had been hit by a car. He was exhausted from fighting the river; this is the only way Jack would have let a stranger pick him up. He sprang to life a few hours later leaving the guy to wonder what had happened to the dog he had brought home to "let die in his kitchen." He liked Jack and decided to keep him. The next day, he took the now recovered dog, in his truck to a town about 10 miles southeast of my ranch. He then lost Jack in that town! Jack jumped out of his truck and would not let the poor guy catch him. That was Jack, his way – or no way.

Some days later, Jack was picked up by that town's dog catcher. I have never really figured out how that happened. I called the shelter but never went down to the little kennel. Jack was there but I was calling him a heeler and the staff called him a corgi cross. They told me on the phone that he wasn’t there, and I never went to check. Heed this lesson - always go look!

After 28 days at the small shelter, Jack was put on death row and transported to the vet to be put to sleep as is the procedure in some parts of Oklahoma. While on the vet’s table with his death imminent, a rancher walked in and said, “Let me take the little dog.” He snuck him out the back door and the records still show that Jack was put to sleep that day.

The rancher lived 50 miles northwest of me and I did not know him, nor did he know of me. If it was not for my blacksmith, Wayne, who was at the rancher’s big ranch four months later, I would have gone to my grave thinking Jack had drowned in the river. Jack lived with the rancher for a little over three months and the rancher really did not want to give him back, but the blacksmith pleaded my case, and the rancher agreed to let me come and look at the dog to see if it was Jack.

When I got there, my heart was pounding and I tried not to get my hopes up; this was so far away, how could Jack have made it this far? (note: I did not know most of this story at the time). Wayne, the blacksmith, however, was sure it was Jack. As I walked into the huge barn, I saw a grizzled gray and black dog under a truck; I clucked my tongue, a greeting I use with my dogs and horses. The dog whirled around and ran to me. It was Jack! He jumped up, gave me a perfunctory lick and headed for my truck where he sat staring at the driver’s door waiting for me to open it. The rancher called out to Jack, but Jack held his stare. He did not respond to the rancher’s calls. The rancher sadly smiled at me and said, “I guess he is your dog.” I could tell he was sad, and it was evident that during his stay that Jack had become the rancher’s friend too. I left with Jack and felt like I could finally breath again.

Jack’s incredible journey changed my life. Within a month of his return, I was studying behavior and planning how to select and train a dog in the search and investigation of missing pets. Three months later, I found a lab/hound puppy who I thought would make a great partner. I named him Cade. He became the infamous "big brown dog." Together we became The K9PI. (That is Cade and I in the graphic working in San Francisco).

Jack presided over the ranch until he crossed the rainbow bridge. He was hardheaded to the end but never again crossed the creek if it was over a few inches high.
And yes, I owe it all to Jack.

Little Red is missing in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Shy and frightened, it is possible he is roaming in the area of Belt Line Rd near E. Main St.
Please SHARE!

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LOST Tabby CAT

Operation Kickstart… Welcome Home Miyagi!
Each case is different… and sometimes there is a unique way in which we can help!

Fourteen-year-old Miyagi had been missing four days when his panicked family called for help. After reviewing the situation and the actions the family had employed, Karin deduced that the quickest way she could help find Miyagi was by getting help from the family dog, a very smart Weimaraner mix.

There had been some sightings of a gray cat but the sightings were in different areas of the mountainous terrain. There were myriad places that Miyagi could hide but drilling down to which sighting was actually Miyagi would be the biggest help.

With the family on-board Karin went through a mini session of associative response training which is not tracking training per se but more an intuitive jump in understanding between pet owner and dog.
After completing the building block training steps, it was time to see if the family dog could step up to the challenge. The next morning, the pet owner went to the location Karin suggested and began the steps.
The young Weimaraner jumped forward and began tracking his feline friend.
We now knew he understood the job.
It was time to go to the sighting.
The young dog again jumped forward following along the exact path the witness stated the cat had followed. The task was complete. We knew which sighting was Miyagi and the focus search area shifted to that area.
Miyagi was found in that area the next day.

Sometimes unique and extraordinary actions can be taken when the pieces are in place. In this case, we had a willing pet owner, a smart intuitive dog and the belief that they would succeed.

After 22 years in this field… Karin understands the pieces and parts, the tactics and the passion to put them all together.

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Operation.... KICKSTART... work with Karin
An affordable option to find and recover your missing pet!

From Karin~
"Over the past two decades in this work, I have learned that in many cases, pet owners with missing dogs and cats, simply need an overview and analysis of their missing pets situation and then a strategy specific to the recovery of that missing pet's scenario. The pet owner can then implement the strategy on their own."
KickStart has been designed for just this purpose.

For more information go to https://k9pi.com/kickstart
or call 888-569-5775.

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Moving forward...
The past two weeks have been days of change, reconsidering and evolving. As I stated earlier, Nico's death was devastating for all of us but especially Angie. We have pondered many options over the past week and I decided to move forward by retiring dogs and restructuring.
Why?
K9 Nico was the anchor on Angie's K9 TEAM. His sudden death left a huge gap in the team which I felt could not be managed by the two remaining elderly dogs. I wanted 11 year old Dakota and 13 year old Oliver to have a retirement prior to their passing. This did not happen with Nico and Dani who both worked right up to the week they died.
My philosophy...
I have retired dogs younger then might be expected. This rotation of dogs has allowed the option to rescue and give more dogs a chance on a team but also allows the working dogs on the team the ability to enjoy retirement. Please note there is a lot of responsibility placed on the tracking dogs. The work can be grueling as they face hot climates, tough terrain and stressful outcomes. The dogs that thrive in this work, love all of that but there is a time when those responsibilities should shift to younger dogs.
This sentiment is not necessarily embraced by all and in certain circumstances dogs have stayed working longer especially when they still relish the work. That said, those are unique circumstances and most dogs should be retired by age 10 at the latest. Over the past 22 years, most of my dogs have retired at an age between 5 and 7 years old. Some dogs like Cade and York worked longer but even they were retired and lived out their years just being dogs.

Patience...
I explain this as we transition. I will be handling all the cases for now. The Arkansas team needs to train and add other dogs to continue to be safe and effective.

Lost Pet Professionals will continue... and so will we.
Thank you for your service York, Dakota and Oliver.

Thank YOU for your understanding...
Karin, Jett, Bear, Travis, Dutch and Archie.
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Words to live by...

Rest in Peace K9 Nico.
From Karin TarQwyn

To say Saturday was a bad day would be an understatement. It is a day I will never forget as everything changed.

In the morning Angie let me know that Nico appeared kind of lethargic but attributed it to the heat. By afternoon he turned down his dinner; our dogs never turn down dinner. The plan was to take him to an emergency vet and when I hung up the phone, Angie was making arrangements to take him. An hour later, I got one of the worst texts and biggest shocks of my life… Nico had just passed.

Like most of these working dogs on our teams Nico was a tough hombre. There was very little indication that he was "sick”. It is believed that he had a heart attack and passed quickly. There was nothing that could have been done. Angie had only been on the phone 10 minutes when she came back to the couch where she and Nico had been sitting to find him deceased. Yes, we all went into a tailspin. The passing of Nico on his team was the same as Cade passing on my team. We love all our dogs but when your lead dog passes, a piece of you goes with him and you will never be the same.

I have told Nico’s story many times and Angie told it again in the post below. He has been with me since 2013, and he has worked every one of Angie’s cases as well as working with me and others since 2014. It is notable that he died exactly one month after his longtime best friend Carson crossed over. Carson’s passing, we knew was coming but we had no idea with Nico.

Nico’s passing brings a transition to Lost Pet Professionals. There are changes and a restructuring in process right now. I ask that you be patient as I figure this out.

Rest in peace Nico… you were pivotal in the founding of Lost Pet Professionals and Angie's career.
I thank you my friend… see you at the bridge
~Karin

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RIP Nicolai known by most as “K9 Nico”
By Angie Rutherford

Nico came to the Redfield, Arkansas animal shelter in 2013 as an owner surrender. As a roughly 9-month-old Siberian Laika he was starved for attention and full of energy. Carson who would stay with Nico for the rest of his life, had already been at the shelter for several months when Nico arrived.

Nico was tested by Karin TarQwyn of Lost Pet Professionals at the same time as Carson and she was able to take both dogs with her, to Nebraska, to train as lost pet K9 Search Dogs.
For much of 2014 Nico continued training and moved on to Michigan, Colorado and even Florida as a working K9.
In November of 2014 Nico returned to Arkansas where he would settle and continue working for the next 10 years with me. He was ready to go at a moment's notice and strong as an ox at the other end of his 15-foot line. His ability to detect scent in the air was amazing. Nico was one of those dogs that would take off like a bolt of lightning if the scent was there but if there was no scent he would not move much at all. It was obvious when he had scent.

He loved people and would often "lean" against clients for all the back scratches he could get. Everyone loved seeing him work and were amazed how quickly he could navigate wooded, mountainous areas and even creeks, any water areas for that matter. During the summer months he would spend most of time inside in the air conditioning but come fall and winter he was outside and would sleep on his cot on the covered deck even when it snowed. Like most dogs, he would let you know when someone pulled in the driveway. I swear he knew when the Amazon truck was coming with a Chewy’s order before it ever actually got to the driveway. Let me walk out the door, for whatever reason and he would get everyone involved in a "pack howl."

He was one of the best working dogs and partner. He had to be the first to load up in the truck. He was always ready to put on the harness when the door was opened. He wanted to work; that's just who he was.

Last week was different. He was as ready as ever to put on the harness and work. Due to the 100+ temps I decided to only use him for scanning some areas and short tracks. About the 4th time I went to get him out of the truck he let me know that he was done for the day - he didn't offer to get out. I attributed it mostly to the heat/humidity and hot asphalt. The next day was a rest day, and all the dogs played in the water that evening.
Saturday was different. He had been in and out a couple of times and as usual spent the day lying near the AC vent. When it came time to eat that evening - he was not interested and that never happens. I prepared to take him to an emergency vet. When I came back 10 minutes later… Nico had passed.

Nico had a great life, and he was an awesome working dog.
You will always be in my heart Nico - you were an incredible partner and friend.
Rest in Peace my forever lead dog…

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Welcome Home Ester!
Lake Village, AR –
Ester, a senior Chihuahua weighing in at 6 pounds, went missing from her fenced yard around 1am on July 31st. Even though the family searched in the dark of night they could not locate her. The area is on the East side of Lake Chicot and is mostly agricultural and cotton fields.

The K9 Team was on site mid-morning Thursday. After several hours in 105-degree temps and asphalt hot enough to affect the search, the dogs indicated that Ester could have been picked up along the roadway.

On Saturday Angie got a call from Ester's family that she had been found roughly 5 miles away. She seemed fine and was reported to be in perfect condition.
Welcome Home Ester!

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Update: Ester was found and is safe.

Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas **** Ester - Female - 12 years old - 6 pounds - Tan - Friendly but can be Shy *** Missing from Fish Bayou Rd / Lakehall Rd area during the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 31st. Do not Chase.

Ester was out with fur buddies in a fenced yard when she managed to escape. Family searched in the dark, in the early morning hours, but were unable to find the senior girl. On the occasion that she has gotten out in the past, she usually goes to the door to be let in.

The area borders Lake Chicot and cotton fields. There has been no actual sightings as far we know. There was information of a possible vehicle in the area at the time she went missing but that has not been confirmed. If you see her or think you may have seen her please call the number. If you live in the area and have any kind of cameras please check for any sign of Ester. Family is devastated.

Please Share Far & Wide in hopes of finding Ester.

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getting better every day... Remy and Indy.

Happy Monday… READ for a joyous start to your week! - Found Day of SEARCH
What happens when you are headed for the Little League World Series… and your best friends go missing?
Your coach calls Lost Pet Professionals!

It was a very different call. The gentleman on the phone explained that he was a baseball coach and that Hyatt, a 12-year-old on his team had two dogs who were missing. Coach Joseph went on to explain that the team was scheduled to represent the state of Arkansas in Waco, Texas at the Regional Little League World Series next week. He needed to find the two dogs so the devastated young man could concentrate and compete in the Little League World Series.

June and Oscar go missing
On Wednesday, July 24th, Hyatt returned from fishing with his two best friends, June, a silver Labrador retriever and Oscar, a labradoodle. The two dogs had escaped out an open gate and then gave chase to a deer. Hyatt pursued the two excited dogs but lost sight of them when they ran into a wooded area. He thought the two dogs would circle back around and return home on their own. But they didn’t. The two high energy dogs disappeared, and young Hyatt was devastated.

Angie and her K9s respond
After talking with Coach Joseph and the family, it was decided that Angie and her K9s would head to the very rural open spaces where the dogs had last been seen.

The K9 Team arrived Saturday morning and after proofing the scent articles, the K9s began their work. K9's Cairo and Avery tracked in the direction that Hyatt had seen the dogs run. The scent articles and direction of travel for each individual missing dog was confirmed.
There had been a possible sighting reported a few miles to the south. With high hopes, the team loaded up and headed to the Glenwood Springs area. K9 Nico was utilized for his amazing air scent abilities as it was not exactly known where the sighting had been. After scanning the area, it was a bit disappointing when Nico indicated that he did not have scent for either dog. The sighting was not June or Oscar. The K9 team headed back to continue the search.

From Angie… THE CALL
And then a call came in. The witness described two dogs that had shown up a few minutes earlier. The dogs were swimming in a lake almost three miles to the north. We asked the witness if she could stay near the dogs and watch them as we rerouted and headed in her direction. It was a short drive that seemed to take forever.
As we pulled in, I saw two very dirty dogs being entertained with treats so they would not leave. When the dogs realized Hyatt’s parents were there, they came to them. Our relieved entourage drove home where Hyatt and his best friends were reunited.

June and Oscar were dirty, wet, smelly and exhausted. They had lost weight and June was limping. When examined I noticed that June’s feet were really torn up. The dogs were also covered in seed ticks. After their reunion with Hyatt, they were taken to the vet. They are now recovering nicely.

Welcome Home June and Oscar…
Good luck to Hyatt, Coach Joseph and the Arkansas baseball team representing our state in the regional Little League World Series!

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3 days roaming - Yes, June and Oscar are safe at home - very tired, sore and lots of ticks....This pair and the family need some rest. Pictures and the rest of the story to come.....

Little Rock, Arkansas; Congo-Ferndale area **** June & Oscar - Female / Male - Silver Labrador / Brown Labradoodle - Wearing Collars with ID **** Missing from Keystone Dr. between Kanis Rd. & Rushing Rd. since Wednesday, July 24th. Do Not Chase - Take a picture if you think you see them.

June & Oscar managed to slip out an open gate and bolted, possibly chasing a deer. They could be anywhere in the rural, open space. There has been one possible sighting of 2 dogs near W. Colonel Glenn Rd. & Glenwood Springs Dr. but we are not sure if it was them.

Family is devastated that the pair are still missing. They should stay together but something could happen to cause them to separate. Please CALL the number if you think you see or have seen these dogs. Need a location and direction of travel if at all possible. Oscar is friendly and approachable but June can be shy and standoffish.

Angie and her K9 Team will be heading to the area to assist.

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&Oscar

Working with Karin…
The investigation, search and recovery of Ohana
by Ohana’s Mom, Jamie


Our Ohana went missing after being hit by a pick-up truck out in front of our home.
Initially we thought she wandered away but when her e-collar didn't call her back home we knew something bad had happened. When we checked our doorbell camera, our hearts sank as we witnessed our girl hit by a truck. We searched for days with friends’ family and neighbors. We called all the vets within 200 miles, as well as all the shelters and the local police departments. We posted to every page that would allow and ended up posting in about 30 different pages across the state to get the word out. We were concerned someone could have taken her somewhere far away. We dragged blankets hoping to leave Ohana a scent trail home. We set up trail cams. Handed out flyers. Left food out. Hung our dirty laundry and bedding all along the property line all in hopes of bringing her home. We did EVERYTHING we could think of. Frustrated and losing hope, we called Karin on day 8. It turned out to be the best thing we could have ever done.
Our experience…
Karin was phenomenal! After talking to her for the first time I knew we had the right woman for the job! She is very direct with what we needed to do. She did not make things complicated. She had a clear and straight forward plan. It was so comforting. She knew what to do and that was amazing because we didn't anymore. We were lost on what to do next. She came to us within days, and we had an idea of what happened and what to do next. Her dog's worked fast and so did she. They came to our home and her first dog took the exact path Ohana had taken after being hit on her way out of view of the cameras. We were instantly amazed!
Karin and the dogs are phenomenal! There wasn’t a single second where we doubted the process or anything happening within the process! That team is one well-oiled machine for sure. She’s got it down.

We would recommend Karin and Lost Pet Professionals in a heartbeat!! Lord forbids we ever have to go through this again, but if we do, she will be our first call! Pet owners should just call Karin. Don’t wonder if it'll work because it will. Do what she says, and you'll get your answers.

From Karin…
The search for Ohana was not a typical case. In fact, this case was more of an investigation. From the onset the scent trail did not seem to go very far. Although we scanned several locations where there were possible leads and sightings, none were Ohana.

After completing the scent work process, we began to examine the doorbell camera video more closely. A clue within the video when compared to the K9 team’s scent work, sent us in the right direction. Ohana’s family were all in and they did the “boots on the ground” work which led to Ohana being recovered. The community stepped up with leads and information which were followed.
When Ohana was found she had some damage to her back leg. She may have to have surgery to repair the knee. It is believed she was dropped off near her home due to the type of campaign we put in place. She is happy to be home and recovering.
There were several people involved in this case who deserve thank yous, including Beckie King. Others will remain unnamed, but we do thank them tremendously for their help. This was a sensitive case, and we want to celebrate Ohana’s return as opposed to laying blame and suspicion.

Welcome Home Ohana… Good Job Jamie and Shawn!

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