Guest Promotion: “Growing Up To Be A Search and Rescue Dog” – a children’s book

I first became interested in SAR K9s in 1993 when I read an article about Caroline Hebard and her SAR K9, Pascha, in our New York Sunday paper, NEWSDAY.

I started looking for a German Shepherd that very week. I found my 9-month-old Jazz a few months later. That is when our training started. 

However, the training was delayed by her breaking her back leg playing basketball with my son. But we both persevered. Jazz had a great personality and drive for any adventure she was presented with.   

We joined Ramapo Rescue Dog Association, New Jersey/New York.  That’s when we both really started our SAR training.   Obedience, map and compass work, recall refind,  air scenting, disaster, wilderness and urban work, agility,  water recovery, Airport training, first aid for K9s and people.  Being a New York State EMT, I was prepared for that training. 

After September 11th, Jazz and i were called for deployment to the Staten Island Fresh Kill landfill site after three calls to stand down before we were told to respond.   The recovery started with the trucks filled with debris coming from Ground Zero being dumped at the landfill site. The debris was spread out first by bulldozers and then with rakes.  Then, the K9s and their handlers came in to search the debris and collect human remains in buckets and brought them to the table to be marked and sent for identification.  It was a very sad job that had to be done, but it was very successful for the dogs found human remains to be later identified and made it possible to inform the family members about their loved ones.

After Jazz passed, my young male, Chief, had great adventures as SAR K9.  As well as searches, he was a Good Will Ambassador to many community events. He was at Orange County Choppers with the singing group Madison Rising.  He was working with a Connecticut Middle School the Yap program, or Youth Ambassador program, though Tails of Hope Foundation  Chief is also on the Dogfiles 9/11 10th Anniversary cd.  One of his most important jobs was as a comfort dog for the 9/11 families and others directly affected by 9/11 outside the Nations 9/11 Museum.  

The start of the children’s book, “GROWING UP AS A SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG,” was outlined many years ago as just a thought and a dream. But always lingering in the back of my mind. So, after all those years, in 2021, I dusted off the outline and found a self-publisher and illustrator who helped make this dream come true in 2023.  I had my first children’s book published!     The book is dedicated to Jazz, “My teacher and my Student,  with out your love and loyalty as my partner, I would be much less a person.

I hope this book will show children that the love of a great dog and hard work is worth a great deal in life in helping others in whatever way possible.

To all the Search and Rescue teams, Emergency medical services, Firefighters, and unpaid volunteer professionals who give time, energy, laughter, tears, and sometimes their lives helping others.

SEMPER FIDO,

NANCY KADLEC-BROOKS