I am incredibly bummed I had to miss helicopter safety training with @RICSAR401 on Wednesday, but so proud of my teammates for a job well done! Huge thanks to @RINationalGuard and RI Army Aviation for hosting this amazing session and providing essential Blackhawk training for our K9 teams. We truly appreciate your support and partnership, and look forward to future trainings together. Thank you for all you do to help keep our community safe! Below photos (credit: RICSAR): 1 - RICSAR team photo with our National Guard friends and hosts 2 - K9 Atlas and handler Sean Comtois learn how to properly secure and transport an injured person 3 - RICSAR vice president Sandra Musard and K9 Charlie head back to the hangar after practicing boarding a running helicopter in the rain. #ricsar #alwaysready

Today, @RICSAR401 had a unique opportunity to simulate the environment our K9s will be exposed to during upcoming helicopter orientation training. 🚁🐕 The dogs were brought into a large warehouse, where they were led down an aisle and had to jump into an open van, surrounded by loud noises and other distractions. This sort of controlled simulation training is critical to ensure our K9s are familiarized with the types of sights, sounds and equipment they’ll encounter on base. It’s also hugely helpful for our handlers to see how their dogs respond in stressful situations, and to correct behaviors as needed. Search dogs are sometimes transported by air to help find missing persons and aid search/recovery efforts in disaster situations. As such, air rescue training is an important part of what we do. All dogs present today were able to successfully approach, enter, and exit our makeshift helicopter cabin, with plenty of praise and treats for jobs well done. They all did a fantastic job! Here’s Eevee sporting her new goggles — so proud of her and all her RICSAR friends! Get to the choppa!

Eevee had a great time training with @RICSAR401 today. Here she is, working for her reward after finding one of our fantastic K9 handlers in the woods. She had his scent from the road and took off the second I unhooked her leash. I was so excited to see her waiting with our “missing person” when we finally caught up to her. Even better, she’s getting more comfortable doing bark indications. The tail never stopped wagging — she had so much fun. Eevee’s greatest training challenge is me. Today was less about fine-tuning Eevee and more about eliminating my own new handler anxieties. Moments like these build my confidence and remind me why we work so hard. Proud of my girl!! #ricsar

Today @RICSAR401 had a special opportunity to learn from @TheGeoProfiler and his team. We spent the morning studying geographic profiling, winthropping, environmental scanning and terrain analysis, offender behavior, body deposition site selection, missing & lost persons, HRD searches and more. It was a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with others in the field. Our facilitators today were located in Canada and Washington state, respectively; it’s amazing to think of how large the SAR network is, and so awesome to learn from others so far from RI. Huge thanks to Doug and team for putting today’s session together and taking the time to meet with RICSAR! We look forward to continuing the conversation, and using lessons learned today in future search efforts. #searchandrescue #ricsar #savelives

Eevee saved me, and now she gets to learn how to save other people’s loved ones. Sometimes the universe is cool like that. Forever grateful for the opportunity we’ve got to help make a difference with RICSAR. She’s gonna be a damn good search dog one day.

Excellent shoreline training day for @RICSAR401 ! Here’s K9 Diesel successfully indicating on source for handler Steve, under the guidance of President Jim Rawley. This training scenario had a total of 3 sources. K9 Diesel found all 3 in less than 10 minutes! 🙌🏻 #ricsar

🌙 Happy Howl-oween, Humans and Furry Friends! 🌙 There's no better way to celebrate than with our pawsome Rhode Island Canine Search and Rescue team! This year, we're thrilled to present our very own K9 Limey, who has transformed into the mighty Limeysaurus Rex! 🦖🐕 We want to see your pets and little ones in their Halloween finery! Share your photos with us using the hashtag #RICSARHowloween and let's celebrate together. Please also keep these important safety tips in mind as you haunt the neighborhoods tonight: Trick or Treat Safety Tips for Kids 🎃 Buddy system - Always go out in groups or with a trusted adult. There's safety in numbers! 🎃 Visibility - Wear bright costumes or add reflective tape. Carry flashlights or glow sticks to light up the night. 🎃 Look both ways - Cross streets at corners, use crosswalks, and look left, right, and left again. Drivers might not see little ghosts and goblins in the dark. 🎃 Keep Costumes Safe - Choose flame-resistant costumes and make sure masks don't obstruct vision. If wearing a hat, secure it to avoid tripping. 🎃 Check the Treats - Inspect all treats at home before eating. Avoid anything unwrapped or homemade unless you know the source. 🎃 Allergies Alert - Be mindful of food allergies. Read labels on candy if necessary. 🎃 Stay on Known Paths - Stick to familiar neighborhoods. Planning your route in advance helps. Avoid taking shortcuts through backyards or alleys where it might not be as safe, and trick or treat at the door, not inside homes. 🎃 Have a Cell Phone - Older kids should carry a phone for emergencies. Program emergency contacts. For our four-legged friends… 👻 Costume Comforts - Ensure your pet's costume fits well and doesn't restrict movement or breathing. 👻 Visibility is Vital - Add reflective gear or use LED lights. 👻 Sweet but Not Too Sweet - Keep treats out of paw's reach. Share pet-friendly alternatives! 👻 Stay Calm Amidst the Chaos - Provide a quiet space if needed. 👻 On-Leash Adventures - Keep pets on a leash for safety. From all of us at @RICSAR401, we wish you a safe, fun, and frightfully delightful time! Let's make this a Howl-oween to remember! 🎃👻 Beware the night, but enjoy the fright, Team RICSAR and Limeysaurus Rex! 🐾🎉

Today’s @RICSAR401 training day was a tough one for Eevee. Our search subject took this photo when Eevee found her — she was so excited to find her “missing person.” This section of woods was rough; lots of uneven terrain, fallen trees, rocks, and full of briars. We both got covered in deer ticks, and Eevee got a thorn stuck in her leg, but she kept trying and eventually found our subject. My teammates also took extra time to play “runaways” with her, a game that helps us imprint the dogs for live find scenarios. She’s still getting the hang of being off-leash, but loves the games and was so sweet with all of our handlers. Now she’s napping next to me, and I hope she knows how proud I am of her. She puts her heart into training and has come so far in the last year. Today was an opportunity for me to see the work we need to do. I’m confident she will only continue to improve — just takes a lot of patience and love. #ricsar #teameevee

Week 2 of 40 acres wilderness live find training for Eevee is DONE! 🙌🏻 This was a challenging course, with lots of fallen trees everywhere. Eevee crushed it! I didn’t get a video of her running through the woods, but she raced through the forest the second I gave her command and was smiling in front of our fantastic search subject when we approached. I think the tail wag speaks for itself — this happy girl loves finding people! Let’s go @RICSAR401 !!!! #alwaysready #ricsar #TeamEevee

Today is easily one of the best days of my life — Eevee found her first “missing person” with @RICSAR401. After so many months of training, I finally got over my fears and let her run off leash in the wilderness. I dreamed about this moment for so long; seeing it happen for real is something I’ll never forget. Thank you @Rawley2James for your guidance and reminding me to trust my dog. I am so proud to be part of RICSAR and so grateful for the opportunity to help save lives in Rhode Island. My heart is so happy. My girl’s gonna be a search dog!!!! 💜 #ricsar #searchandrescue #rhodeisland

Today, @RICSAR401 had the unique opportunity to train at a summer camp, thanks to Pawtucket @ymca allowing us the use of their beautiful Camp Westwood facility. All 11 K-9s found our “missing camp counselor” in less than 15 minutes each. Here’s a look at K-9 Atlas making her find! Training days like this are incredibly beneficial to our team. While we hope to never be called out to search for a missing counselor or camper, we truly appreciate the chance to train for this exact scenario and are so grateful to the YMCA team for supporting search and rescue efforts in Rhode Island. If you have a large, wooded property like this, we’re always looking for new training locations! We are a fully-insured, nonprofit organization, and will treat your property with respect. Reach out to let us know if you’re interested in sponsoring a training location! Learn more about RICSAR at ricsar.org. #alwaysready #ricsar #rhodeisland #searchandrescue

Today, @RICSAR401 had the opportunity to present to the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. President James Rawley and I shared our recently redesigned overview presentation, which includes full details about who we are, what we do, and how we can help save lives alongside law enforcement and emergency agencies across the state. All of our handlers and support team members contributed to the presentation’s design, making it a unique educational resource that represents decades of search and rescue experience. RICSAR received a warm welcome and wonderful response from all those in attendance. Thank you to the RI Police Chiefs Association and Bristol Harbor Master for hosting us today — it was a pleasure! Special thanks to Matthew Zarrella for coordinating today’s presentation. From students to police chiefs, we are always happy to help educate groups and teams about our capabilities through customized, age-appropriate presentations and K-9 demonstrations. Please reach out if you’re interested in having RICSAR at your next event. Learn more at RICSAR.org. #ricsar #rhodeisland #searchandrescue #community #alwaysready

Tonight, we updated our @RICSAR401 overview presentation with a special slide dedicated to water safety. Our team decided to create and include this slide as a way to honor local lives lost and share some of our lessons learned with the community, hopefully preventing additional water-related deaths through education and awareness. We felt it was too important to keep to ourselves, so reshare it here with all of you. Zoom in to see details. For ease of reference, here are the water safety tips shared: ▪️Check the weather and marine forecast before you head out on the water. ▪️Make sure someone is aware of your plans. Bring a buddy whenever possible. ▪️Always wear a personal floatation device (PFD) when performing activities on the water, like kayaking/canoing, tubing or boating, and ensure children/pets have PFDs, too. ▪️Over 70-80% of childhood drowning occurs in backyard pools. Restrict access, set alarms, monitor activity. ▪️Choose high-visibility swimwear and equipment. ▪️Place waterproofed “if found” stickers inside any kayak/canoe. ▪️Persons with autism may be more attracted to water than others. More than 50% of children with autism gravitate to water. When someone with autism goes missing, always check nearby water areas immediately. Please share, and add your own water safety tips in the comments! #ricsar #RhodeIsland #watersafety #alwaysready

I noticed this in the woods today with RICSAR — is it from a lightning strike?

K9 Skye and dad/handler Thom Carney recently received the @MRC_ASPR Medical Reserve Corps 2024 “Responder of the Year” Award, for their efforts during the 2023 Exeter/West Greenwich brushfire. We are so proud to have Team Skye on the @RICSAR401 roster, and so thankful for their service to our community. Please help us congratulate Team Skye on this incredible achievement! #RICSAR #rhodeisland #RIMRC #teamskye

Sunday funday! K9 Charlie reminds everyone to keep their pets hydrated and cool. And have fun! #ricsar #searchandrescue

📢 TOMORROW, August 2 — Tune in to @wpro at 11 a.m. ET to hear from @RICSAR401’s own Matthew Zarrella, as he shares more about our team and work in the community! Matthew retired from @RIStatePolice in 2015 with the rank of sergeant. During his 25-year career, he revolutionized the agency’s K-9 unit and worked with local shelters to find new four-legged recruits, in addition to supporting search and rescue missions at an international level. Matthew was portrayed in the @netflix film, “Rescued by Ruby,” based on the true story of the late legend K-9 Ruby, and was the subject of the documentary film “Search Dog.” Please share and tune in tomorrow, to support Matthew and our team! #ricsar #rhodeisland #searchandrescue

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗦𝗔𝗥 𝗞-𝟵𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? 🤔 Many handlers have portable fans for their dogs, both inside and outside of vehicles. Dogs waiting in vehicles for their turns to search are kept with lift gates open and windows down. Most importantly: every dog always has access to water. When we hold trainings with different stations, every dog is also rested between stations. This is protocol regardless of the season, but can make a big difference on more extreme weather days. Below, K9s Noora, Creed and Eloise demonstrate how @RICSAR401 dogs stay cool — and safe — during summer trainings! #ricsar #summer #training #searchandrescue #rhodeisland #dogs #k9

When she’s not training or working to save lives with @RICSAR401, K9 handler Marjorie Aubee works as a school bus driver. 🚌🐾 Yes, yes, we know — those kids hit the bus driver jackpot with Marj. She decorates her bus for holidays, has a great sense of humor, could probably survive the apocalypse, and a group full of children couldn’t possibly be in better hands. To commemorate the end of this school year, one elementary student’s talented parent — “BMonteDesigns” on Facebook — gifted Marj a beautiful painting of her searching with K9 Eloise, inspired by an original photo taken by handler Cassie Holm. “I am extremely humbled by this gift,” said Marj. “I try to be a good bus driver and create a positive relationship with the parents. It’s a give-and-take, but it’s an important part of my job. Smiles go a long way!” We wanted to amplify this thoughtful gesture and say a special thanks to Marj, as well as all educators and support staff who work with children, and awesome parents like Ms. Monte (who totally puts our end of year gift games to shame). We appreciate you, and wish you a wonderful, safe summer! 💙 #ricsar #rhodeisland #searchandrescue

Eevee passed her behavioral evaluation with @RICSAR401 this morning! She showed high drive, high energy and a friendly temperament with no signs of aggression, which is exactly what we’d hoped for. She’s come a long way in the last year. We still have a long way to go, but seeing Eevee make the first step in her journey to become a search and rescue dog was a special moment. So proud of her and so grateful to my RICSAR teammates for their guidance and support. Woohoo!! 🙌🏻🐕