Paws on the ground: Cross-border dog handlers train for search and rescue missions

Search and rescue handlers and their dogs gathered for an intensive training session on a rural farm, just west of Kitchener. CTV's Hannah Schmidt reports.

A special kind of teamwork was on display over the weekend as search and rescue handlers—and their dogs—gathered for an intensive training session on a rural farm, just west of Kitchener.

The small group, which consisted of dog handlers from both Canada and the U.S., met in New Hamburg to train for the high-stakes world of search and cadaver recovery.

“This is the third annual training that we’ve had but it is a bit different this year as we’re training puppies,” explained William Bolton, a senior trainer in advanced tactical search and rescue. “We get into obedience; we then get into tracking and scenting. Depending on where the handler wants to go with a dog and how well they are doing with the dog, they can then expand beyond that.”

Mando, an eight-month-old Golden Retriever Siberian Husky mix and Romeo, a nine-week-old Dobermann, were two of the pups that trained alongside their handlers.

“I got the pleasure of working with Bill in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene,” said handler, Claudia Lopez. “The thrill of being behind my dog and watching them work is the most amazing thing ever but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.”

Bolton isn’t just a trainer, he’s the person families, organizations and search and rescue groups call when hope hangs in the balance.

“Regardless of whatever the outcome is, you still kind of get to help families and give them a peace of mind and that’s something I’m really passionate about,” said handler, Elena Litzenberger.

Lopez travelled in from Pennsylvania while Litzenberger came up from Maryland to take part in Bolton’s training seminar.

“The whole reason I got into dog training was to learn how to do more search and rescue but in the state that I’m from, we don’t have those kinds of resources,” said Litzenberger. “I’m definitely going to keep it up, I’m going to get certified in the rest. Anything else that I need for the human remains protection training for me and for Mando.”

“Big picture is going to be really advancing the standards in the States, making them better, helping dogs become better,” added Lopez.

“It’ll be an awareness certificate that they will get and at that point, they can then decide how far they want to go, what do they want to do like more tracking or recovery,” explained Bolton.

For Bolton, this year’s training looked different. It was the first he’s led without Sheba—his longtime K9 partner and legend in the field—who passed away earlier this year.

“It’s definitely emotional because she was not just my pet, she was my partner. She went everywhere. We trained together, we worked together, I relied on her implicitly,” he said.

Now, little Cleopatra is at Bolton’s side—young, wide-eyed and already stepping into the pawprints left behind.

“We’re going to then try and diversify her training to then make her the best but it is emotional, it is. There are times when I really miss Sheba. It’s real,” he said.