Mark9 search and rescue
Always Ready, Ever able
Meet the Team
They are our canine family members with a day job — and they work plenty of nights, too. The MARK9 search dogs are owned by the handlers who work them and are trained collaboratively by their handlers, team trainers, and outside coaches.
These dogs generally work search and rescue for eight to ten years, and when they retire, they remain with the families they love. Each dog has a personality and charisma all his or her own, with two things in common: all our dogs are people-friendly, and they all love their work.
Service by MARK9 dogs has been awarded by the Oklahoma Veterinary Hall of Fame, the Plano Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and the AKC, among other organizations.
K9 Annie
In Training
Annie is a Blue Lacy. A true Texas native like the Texas Longhorn, the Blue Lacy was developed in the Texas Hill Country to fill the needs of colonial Americans. Considered the all around ranch dog, some have said that one Lacy could do the work of five cowboys. Blue Lacy's excel at herding, baying, tracking, hunting and as Search Dogs. Annie loves to tug and snuggle. When she isn't training with her SAR team she enjoys playing tag with her older sister, learning new tricks and cuddling with her people.
Handler: Matt Welsh
K9 Brodie
Canine CGC, AWDA Wilderness Area Search Type III, AWDA Human Remains Detection Type IV
Brodie is energetic, brave, smart, inquisitive and ready to go! He has a great toy drive and loves to fetch with his favorite ball and will tug with anything! He likes to try to do whatever his big sister Stella does and imitates her as often as he can. Brodie has a great work ethic and loves to train - he thinks it is all fun and games. Some of his favorite activities are playing on the agility course, going for hikes and learning new tricks.
Handler: Chris Drury
K9 Kao
Canine CGC, Wilderness, Urban, AWDA Wilderness Area Search Type III and IV, AWDA Human Remains Detection Type IV
Kao comes from Slovakian lineage from a long line of working dogs. Kao's sire is currently a working police K9 in Slovakia and was bred out of the Slovakian national kennel. While working Kao displays extreme drive and focus, and is totally dedicated to finding missing people. When not working he loves to play tug, chase tennis balls, and find new ways to have his tummy rubbed.
Handler: Zephrin Allen
K9 Orca
Canine CGC, Wilderness Area Search Type III
Orca is a black and white Border Collie with Welsh parents. He is just starting his search and rescue training and loves it. He is definitely high drive and high energy. Outside of search and rescue, his favorite things to do are play tug, run after balls, and hang out with his bloodhound roommates and his border collie friends. My favorite thing about him is, he is fun loving and makes everyday a fun day for me.
Cindy Selzler
K9 Aspen
Canine CGC, AWDA Human Remains Detection Type IV, AWDA Wilderness Area Search Type III
Aspen is a black sable German Shepard who has high drive and loves to work. She loves her job and just wants to please. She's a little shy when you first meets you but i very sweet and friendly. When she isn't training or searching for MARK9, she loves aggravating her 6 packmates, camping, and playing around the house.
Handler: Mike Holmberg
K9 Coco
Canine CGC, AWDA Wilderness Trailing Type I
Coco is a Lagotto Romagnolo. The Lagotto Romagnolo[a] is an Italian breed of dog. It originates in the marshlands of the Delta del Po in the eastern part of the Romagna sub-region of Italy. Lagotti go back to at least Renaissance Italy, where they were bred as waterfowl retrievers working the marshlands of Ravenna. (“Lago” is Italian for “lake.”) For many years, though, Lagotti, blessed with an exceptional nose, have been used in the Italian countryside to sniff out truffles, a tasty and expensive delicacy. Though many breeds can be trained on truffles, the Lagatto is generally considered the world’s finest truffle dog. There are less than 600 Lagotti in the United States but the numbers are growing since being recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2015.
Handler: Kelly Case
K9 Madchen
In Training
Madchen (made-chen)is a German Wirehaired Pointer. She has all the attributes of this high drive breed. In early stages of training, she’s shown to be mobile, agile and it’s futile to hide from her. And oh yeah, she can’t control her licking. She loves everybody.
Handler: Jerry Seevers
K9 Ryker
Canine CGC, AWDA Human Remains Detection Type IV, NNDDA Human Remains
Ryker is a Dutch Shepard out of a working police dog sire and a personal protection dam. He has an amazing ball drive and super hunt drive. He loves dock diving and agility. When he is working he has extreme focus on the job. He is an amazing partner who never lets me down. I look forward to many years of learning from him.
Handler: Laurie Davis
K9 Bentley
AWDA Wilderness Trailing Type I
Bentley is bold and brave and always ready to work. He doesn't know what it means to give less than 100%, he never gives up. He is always happy with a smile on his face. Next to working his favorite pastime is running trails where his runners create puzzles for him to figure out and hide in hard to get to places. When off duty he loves to run and play with other dogs. He loves a good game of chase, swimming at the lake and belly rubs.
Handler: Chris Drury
K9 Gypsy
AMPWDA Urban Mantrailing, AWDA Wilderness Trailing Type I
Gypsy is a liver and tan bloodhound. She absolutely loves trailing lost people, whether in training or on searches. Outside of searches and training, her favorite pastimes are playing in the waves, swimming in the pool, and hanging out with the other dogs.
Handler: Cindy Selzler
K9 Mayhem
In Training
Comrade Mayhem is a black and tan bloodhound. We named him
Mayhem because he was the most active puppy in his litter, and we
brought him home in the midst of Covid. His hobbies include chasing
his” cat, tearing up his beds, counter-surfing, and eating Sonic Breakfast
burritos (with bacon). He loves scent-work and earned an AKC Tracking
Dog Title before he turned 2 years old. He is just starting out with
Search and Rescue, and he really loves finding people.
Handler: Pandora Galbraith
K9 Samantha
In Training
Samantha is a Belgium Malinois (pronounced Mal-in-wah) which dates back to the 1800’s, however,
they were first introduced to the United States in the early 1900’s. The Belgium Malinois has an
extreme sense of smell and drive, therefore allowing the breed to excel in herding, protection, drug,
bomb, gas detection, and search and rescue.
Malinois’ are very intelligent, obedient, agile, fast, and extremely energetic. As a result, this makes
them a breed for a more experienced owner and not your typical family pet owner. Samantha is very
loyal, dedicated, and loves to be in a family environment. She has a high drive, that keeps everyone
always on the go. Samantha loves swimming, boating, hiking, running, playing fetch, tugging, and
searching for hidden objects. When not engaging in outside activities or training, Samantha loves to
watch sports TV, and engages into the activity as she continuously circles the couch, pausing to watch
ball movement.
Handler: George Ramirez