Kim Kelly has done an excellent job once again in setting up a full weekend of canine training.  If you have any questions please contact her at sarlady@yahoo.com.         SAR City (http://www.sarcity.org) is riiiiiight around the corner - October 12, 13, and 14, 2007! There is simply no better conference to be had, dollar for dollar, than at our best of the west conference.   This year's canine track is proving, once again, to be top-notch. This year, we have chosen to focus on expanding the field of canine training - it's more than just orange jackets and Greenies! Come learn from phenomenal instructors with vast experience in multiple disciplines. Schedules are still being finalized at this time, but here's a list of our confirmed classes and instructors:   Brand New to SAR City! -   Kat Albrecht is a former police bloodhound handler and police officer-turned-investigative "pet detective". Back in 1996, Kat's police bloodhound, A.J., escaped and was lost. After using another SAR dog to locate A.J., Kat began developing methods of finding lost pets that mirror those used in SAR. Kat is the founder of Missing Pet Partnership (www.lostapet.org), a grassroots national nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of community-based lost pet services. Kat is the author of The Lost Pet Chonicles and How to Train Your Dog to Locate Lost Pets. If crittering is proving to be a problem for you and your partner, maybe it's time for a career change. On Friday night, Kat will present two one hour courses, back to back, "Missing Animal Response Services: SAR for Lost Pets!" and MAR Dog Training, and then she will repeat first thing Saturday morning. Come listen to Kat (and Dogs!) on Friday night and Saturday morning for great training, inspirational stories, challenge, and a new twist on SAR canine! Lou Castle (www.loucastle.com) is a retired police officer with nearly 30 years experience who was a police canine handler and the K-9 trainer for his department. Now he's a court recognized K-9 expert, a POST certified evaluator, and a canine legal consultant who does seminars on training police and SAR K-9's.  He was co-founder, past President and past Vice President of the Los Angeles County Police Canine Association (LACPCA), and past Vice President of United States Police Canine Association (USPCA, District Five). Lou is also a  world-wide recognized expert in electronic collar (e-collar) use, teaching and training in the proper use, application, and methodology of this piece of equipment, specializing in dogs that search. On Saturday, Lou will be running an 8 hour class devoted to e-collar, training and trouble-shooting with your canine. On Sunday morning, Lou will spend 3 hours with you discussing and working building search problems.   Kathy Bates-Lande is a long time canine handler, trainer, and SAR team K9 handler for both the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and for a SAR team in Minnesota. She is well recognized amongst both the SAR and disaster response community for her work with both the living and in human remains detection. On Saturday, Kathy and Donna Sanford will be working with you, specializing in multiple advanced cadaver/human remains detection (HRD) problems. Sign up at the main Canine Room (on the white board) for an appointment time of your choice on Saturday, and again on Sunday for HRD-specific building search.   Returning to SAR City! -   Dana Kirsch Ray, EMT-P, has been in SAR for over 15 years. She has a Master's Degree in learning and brain science from MIT, and is a Nationally Registered Paramedic. She has been a Mission Ready K9 handler since 2001, and an active member of her county Sheriff SAR team, including being a Type 1 Ground Pounder, NASAR, Civil Air Patrol, and OES. Dana has participated in over 100 searches, and her retired K9, Geiger, in over 40. Dana worked for FEMA during the 2004 hurricane season in Florida. On Saturday, Dana will spend two hours with you in "So, You Think You Can Read Your Dog?". A two hour class, designed for the apprentice handler who is preparing to become mission ready, Dana offers a “reality check” in how well you are doing at reading your dog. It provides both a classroom portion and a field evaluation of how to know if you are reading your dog well. This class is for both trailing and area dogs. Note: Dana will also be presenting other courses on  "Fostering Good Judgement in your SAR Team" - MANAGEMENT TRACK and "Scene Size up in the Wilderness Setting" - MEDICAL TRACK. Check your schedule!   Lori and Bob Wells are once again returning Saturday, by popular request, for their phenomenal two hour "Beginning and Intermediate Trailing Classes". Both Bob and Lori Wells is a member of CARDA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Search Dog Team. Bob and his wife Lori respond to an average of 1 search per week. Both Bob and Lori are Mission Ready Trailing Dog Handlers. Bob's 4th K-9 partner is a 6 y/o Bloodhound named "Marlowe". Lori currently serves on the Board of both organizations as Member at Large.  Lori's K-9 partners are an 8.5 y/o Catahoula Leopard Dog named "Buster" and a 6 y/o Blood-A-Houla named "Emma Peel". We're thrilled to have them back again this year!   Kimberly R. Kelly (formerly Falconer) will be returning with her terrific "Forensic Decomposition for the SAR Canine Handler" course. This course, designed as an awareness-level introduction, will guide the attending student through the full spectrum of human decomposition from the initial cellular changes that occur within moments of death, to full skeletonization, with special attention to differential decomposition (burning, human intervention, etc). With use of Powerpoint slides, video, and interactive display of human and animal bones, students will be able to understand the scientific decompositional process, and be effectively recognize signs of human remains, no matter the stage. Note: Kimberly will also be presenting her course on missing or wandering Alzheimer's subjects under another track. Check your schedule!   Although all instructors are also qualified canine evaluators, we are working diligently to bring back our wonderful US Border Patrol BORSTAR instructor/evaluators. Please bear with us as we work with government schedules!   Be sure to register soon! http://www.sarcity.org/forms.html And don't forget Saturday night's guest speaker, dinner raffle, and most important, STEAK DINNER! See you in October!   For more information, please email Kimberly R. Kelly at sarlady@yahoo.com or call (760) 315-1895. Thanks!