Tsar was selected especially for search and rescue as a surprise present from Chris Lemonds to his wife, Maria, both of whom were members of MARK-9. Chris's sister was also a member of the team with her partner, Huckleberry, making it a family affair.

On his first day with the team, this gangly German Shepherd puppy with one ear up and one ear down leapt into runaway training and never looked back. Maria's biggest problem was trying to keep up with her little powerball. Tsar completed training and was later inducted into the Oklahoma Veterinary Animal Hall of Fame for the work he did in Moore, Oklahoma, after the Force 5 tornado swept the area.

Tsar fought the good fight and conquered his search and rescue work. He mastered riding a skateboard and took on the role of friend and companion to his four-legged housemate, Ruby. He was active in children's education, earning recognition from the Plano Police Department for his work with their Vacation Safety School. He later fought the good fight, but lost his battle with cancer, leaving us on March 18, 2005.