KYK9 has a talented and dedicated multi-disciplinary team. Sarah Freeman, our flanker technician, works directly with Jennifer and K9 Pocket on all deployments. Sarah provides comfort and assists families when K9 Pocket discovers human remains.

KYK9's work on cold cases and forensic criminal cases continued this year, including a murder case where K9 Pocket found blood evidence at the crime scene. The assailant later confirmed that the attack occurred in that location.

In November, K9 Pocket passed three certification tests in three days. What an unexpected accomplishment! She received national certifications in land HRD, water HRD, and trailing (live find). A huge thank you to IPWDA master trainers Matthew Zarrella and Scott Carlsten, who have patiently taught, pushed, and supported KYK9 in our goal to meet and exceed the highest standards in the K9 search industry.

Geneva had gone for a walk in the woods behind her home and fell down a very steep ravine. She hit her head, was knocked out, and awoke disoriented and confused.

KYK9 searched an area scheduled for major highway construction to ensure that no Native American burials were in the area. K9 Pocket searched and found two 1000-year-old buried bodies. Without K9 Pocket, these human remains would have been crushed and plowed under during construction.

Brittney Thomas, a 25-year-old EMT, disappeared from her apartment, leaving her phone and all her belongings. Local police assisted in searching for her, but without any leads, the search ended the following evening.

Today, we are asking for your support during KYK9’s annual year-end fund drive. KYK9 is a 501(c)3 non-profit. KYK9 is not paid by law enforcement for our search services. We depend on donations from individuals who think our work is important.

K9 Scout, KYK9’s founding K9 and inspiration, retired this year. I was not prepared for her retirement as she had been working joyfully and successfully. But K9 Scout has taught her sisters well and our good work continues to get better and better.

The International Police Working Dog Association (IPWDA) is a national organization of police K9 trainers, which sets industry-wide standards for search dogs. The Award of Merit recognizes K9 teams whose work is considered superlative.

In October, K9 Pocket found the skeletal remains of a woman who had been missing for 6 months.

This fall, a person named Steve reached out to KYK9 seeking help to find his missing grandfather. When asked, “How long has your grandfather been missing?”, Steve replied, “Since 1944.”