Our partners who have retired into eternity:
Atlas (1997 – 2001)
Atlas was our very first search and rescue canine. He was a black lab trained in live search air scenting. Atlas was partnered with Rick Morrow.
Yarbo (1997 – 2008)
Yarbo was a German Shepherd trained in HRD. He has the notable credit of making the team’s first HRD recovery.
Belle
Belle was a bloodhound trained in the trailing discipline.
Kagnee (2000 – 2009)
Kagnee was a bloodhound trained in trailing.
Boudreaux
Boudreaux was a bloodhound trained in the trailing discipline.
Kody (1999 – 2011)
Kody and Ranger were brothers. He was a yellow lab trained in HRD. Kody was partners with Chief Mike Mackey.
Wendy (2000 – 2013)
Wendy was a yellow lab trained in live search air scenting. Wendy was partners with Justin Mackey.
Ranger (1999 – 2013)
Ranger was one of the original canines on our team. He was a yellow lab trained in HRD. Ranger worked hundreds of missions over the coarse of a distinguished career that spanned more than a decade. He logged 50 recoveries including dozens in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in 2005 which earned him the AKC Search and Rescue Dog of the Year Award. He and his handler, Kerry W. Foster, traveled to hundreds of locations across the country, including the civil war battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa.
Ranger passed away on December 13, 2013 after a brief illness. He was 14 years old. His service and dedication to our team, the Shreveport Fire Department, and all those families whom he brought closure to will not be forgotten.
Ginny (2007 – 2014)
Ginny, also affectionately known as Bayou Ginny, was a bloodhound trained in trailing. In 2009, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Barksdale Air Force Base’s Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol and earned a certification from the U.S. Mantrailing Association. Ginny was partnered with, and trained by, Dan Fischer.
Tracker (2003 – 2018)
Tracker was a black lab that was trained in live search air scenting. Tracker, throughout a career that spanned nearly a decade, worked diligently and successfully rescued two adults and three children. In 2008 Tracker successfully led rescuers to the whereabouts of three kidnapped children in only 15 minutes. Before Tracker set out on his search, rescuers had spent several hours trying to locate the endangered children.
Tracker was rewarded with the Louisiana Veterinarian Medical Association Pet of the Year award for his efforts. Tracker also deployed with the state’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to search for survivors in the aftermath of a vicious tornado. Tracker lived several happy years in retirement before passing away on March 7, 2018.
Molly (2009 – 2018)
Molly completed her journey and mission in this world on December 11, 2018. She was a bloodhound trained in the trailing discipline. She had the distinct honor of serving both the Shreveport Fire Department K9 Search and Rescue Task Force and the Ark-La-Tex K9 Search and Rescue Strike Team.
Born on June 11, 2009, Molly’s career consisted of dozens of missions across the Ark-La-Tex. She successfully placed “paws” on one individual in Keithville, Louisiana after he left his home. He was successfully found and brought back to his family safe and sound. Molly will be greatly missed by our team and her handler, Kevin Kidwell.
Brie (2006 – 2020)
Brie passed away at 13 1/2 years old on May 5, 2020. She was gifted to our team as a puppy in 2006 by Karen Freeman. What a gift she was! Brie was partnered with Ranger and handler, Kerry Foster. She performed search and recovery work as a Human Remains Detection (HRD) canine.
Her career saw many accomplishments. She documented 5 recoveries over more than 30 missions across Louisiana, Texas and the Southeastern United States. Most notably, Brie alerted to the location of two drowning victims in a waterway at the Nantucket Apartments in Shreveport on Mother’s Day 2009. Her positive trained response allowed divers to quickly recover both victims, one 61 year old and one 7 year old, to give closure to their family and friends. Brie also deployed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2011 to search collapsed structures for potential victims in the wake of a devastating EF4 tornado.
Like many of our canine heroes, Brie did not know or understand the vast importance of the job she committed her life to doing. But, she served faithfully and willingly. She unforgettably would get excited and let out her famous “hyena laugh” every time she saw her handler don the red team uniform shirt in preparation for a mission. She loved to work.
She also loved to play. You could not keep her out of a body of water, especially a swimming pool. Brie is now across the rainbow bridge with her partner Ranger and other canine teammates swimming and laughing, having made an everlasting impact on our family, team, city and country.
Bandit (2020)
Bandit was partnered with handler Mike Mackey. Bandit worked within the HRD discipline and carried out dozens of missions across the Texas, Louisiana, and greater Southeastern United States region. Bandit deployed to post-tornadic disaster areas, such as Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to recovery potential victims within numerous collapsed structures. He also assisted the state of Louisiana’s Urban Search and Rescue teams.
Bandit passed away in 2020 after a lengthy and accomplished tenure with our team. He may be gone from this earth but his lively spirit will never be forgotten.
Scout (01/26/2013-10/22/2022)