SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is where human and K9 unite to find lost people and help those in trouble in wilderness and urban settings in the State of  California.

“One never forgets the look on a parents’ face when they’ve lost their child. Mike and Susan saved up all year to take their 5 year old son on a weeklong camping trip to his favorite campground in the woods which was set beside a wide, winding river. One moment everything was going perfect, just as planned, and the next moment, the parents realized that their 5 year old son had just gone missing. In a state of panic and disbelief, Mike and Susan called the local law enforcement asking for help. That’s when I was deployed with my search dog. Within ten minutes of responding to the scene, the search and rescue dog had picked up a strong track. We stayed on that track for over a mile when we came around a bend in the creek that ran adjacent to the river to find the missing child! Finding the little boy was a huge relief, but nothing has ever compared to the excitement I saw in his parents eyes as they saw their son again for the first time. This experience changed the way I viewed helping people, and that’s when I knew that I wanted to continue to do this type of work for the rest of my life.”

–Jamison Burrell, Founder of SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a non-profit public charity and is a qualified 501(c)(3) California organization that makes up a unique, unconventional part of the search and rescue community. SoCal K-9 SAR is a highly specialized, highly mobile, trained and continually training, well equipped, and self sustained man and dog, all volunteer team prepared to be the first boots on the scene and the last boots off.

At SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue, we specialize in ground search and rescue in wilderness and urban settings. Ground search and rescue is the search for persons who are lost or in distress on land or inland waterways. Because of a dogs superior senses, from their ability to smell being estimated as up to “10,000 times better than people”, the use of prepared and well trained wilderness search dog teams dramatically increases the chances of finding the lost/injured victim.

Inevitably, every year people go missing for a variety of reasons. From missing people in our wilderness National Parks (averaging approximately 1,600 people per year here in the United States), to Alzheimer’s patients and children wandering off, when moments matter the most, we’re there, dedicated to bringing those lost and in trouble back home.

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue In House Training

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue trains their dogs both in house and partners with the National Search Dog Alliance (NSDA) to train according to the highest of standards.

From training the dogs in:

• • On and off leash obedience
  • Air scent (area search)
  • Wilderness tracking/trailing
  • Urban tracking/trailing
  • Distance (directional) control
  • Agility
  • Swimming

to training the handlers in:

• • Search methods and strategies
  • Understanding training variables 
  • Basic and advanced scent theory
  • Managing disasters and critical incidents
  • K-9 and human First Aid and CPR
  • K-9 handling skills
  • Mapping
  • Briefing and debriefing skills
  • Record keeping

• to name a few, it is our goal to create an elite, multi-purpose force for high priority emergency situations to serve fellow citizens and our country.

Over the better part of a decade, SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue has proven itself to be a positive contribution to society in substantive ways. It has: 

• • Helped find lost and missing people, reuniting family members
  • Helped administer first aid to people in trouble
  • Created public education for children to the elderly about what to do if you or someone you love gets lost
  • Brought awareness to the alarming epidemic of missing people
  • Been the center of discussion at prep schools for alternative career choices
  • Established relationships and partnerships with public and private search and rescue teams with and without canines in the state of California and the surrounding states
  • Given countless people joy to see the dogs smiling with their heads hanging out the window of the Mobile Command Center (MCC) as we drove through the small towns dotting the Southern California area

Our Programs and Services:

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a life-saving service utilizing highly trained and seasoned human and canine professionals as a team to bring lost people and those in trouble back home. All of our services are provided free of charge to the victim.

1. SoCal K-9 SAR Air Scent/Tracking and Trailing Services:

Within the unit, we have air scent dogs and tracking/trailing dogs. While both dogs use their sense of smell to do their rescue work, Kota, our air scent dog detects human scent that is airborne and often covers large areas of land, while the Shiloh, our tracking/trailing dog can discriminate the scent of an individual after smelling an article of clothing or object touched by the missing individual and track the missing persons exact steps. These two types of search and rescue dogs work well together in times of disaster to both search a large area while also deploying a more specific track from the missing individuals last known point. This service is available for wilderness and urban situations.

Sometimes there are situations when people can’t call for help. Case in point, Joe.  We came across an abandoned vehicle in a ditch in Desert Center, CA (a cell phone dead zone) where the nearest town of Blythe was over 50 miles away. It was early in the morning and temperatures were already reaching into the upper 80’s. Concerned for the person, we got the search dogs out. After about a three mile track, we found a person sitting on a rock in the dwindling shade of a small tree looking exhausted. When Joe looked up and saw the search dogs, he was shocked and relieved. After administering some basic first aid, we gave Joe some water to drink to start rehydrating. Realizing he was ok, we walked Joe back to his vehicle.

2. The K-9 Mobile Command Center (MCC) Van:

The SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue Mobile Command Center (MCC) van is designed to handle any situation. This four wheel drive, super duty, over-landing van is equipped with everything the unit needs to do the search and rescue mission from beginning to end while also allowing the team to move with the search on a moment’s notice. From providing basic necessities such as food, water and shelter, to developing and deploying the search teams on their assignments, to being the focal point for updates and where questions are answered, nothing aids our team on the scene better than the MCC.

Back to the story about Joe: Once we arrived back at his vehicle we needed to get it out of the ditch it was stuck in off the side of the road.  Detaching the winch from the K-9 MCC van and attaching it to his vehicle where the frame was hung up on some boulders, the winch quickly and easily pulled the car free. 

3. SoCal K-9 SAR First Aid: 

All K-9 handlers at SoCal K-9 SAR carry first aid items including medicines (ibuprofen, aspirin, antacid, etc.) and gear (ace bandage wrap, CPR mask, slings, band aids, etc.) that can treat typical injuries. Not only are we prepared with “to-go packs” for first aid for the handlers, the canines, and the victim(s), but we also carry an exhaustive first aid kit in the MCC van that weighs upwards of 70+ pounds. All K-9 handlers are continually training in K-9 and human first aid, CPR and blood borne pathogens.

As people age, some of their cognitive and coordination skills can dissipate. This is an example of a 77 year old man who thought he could do more than he physically could and he slipped and fell. Not wanting to be taken to the hospital, Robert approached the K-9 MCC van to treat him on the scene, immediately. Seeing that Robert had split his head open, the first thing we assessed him for was a concussion. Showing no signs of being in a critical state, we continued to inspect him for additional injuries. Having confirmed the most severe injury he sustained was the open wound on his head, we pulled out our first aid kit from the MCC van, cleaned the wound thoroughly, dressed it with sterile bandages and gave him some ibuprofen for the pain. Robert was very thankful to have approached the K-9 unit for assistance. We did advise that he should go to his regular doctor for further care. 

4. SoCal K-9 SAR Community Educational Demonstrations: 

SoCal K-9 SAR is pleased to offer informational seminars presenting basic information about search and rescue work with canines through lectures and demonstrations. These educational demonstrations cover topics including but not limited to:

• • Overview of search and rescue dogs
  • Types of K-9 Search and Rescue
  • Obedience, agility and directionality
  • Scent theory
  • Search demonstrations
  • And more

5. SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue Community Service/Homeless Dogs Project:

SoCal K-9 SAR is committed to lending a hand to the Los Angeles homeless dog epidemic. Ranging from food and water, clothing and blankets, leashes and pet food, to access to free obedience and behavioral training, holistic care, and simply lending a sympathetic ear, several times throughout each year, our handler and K-9 teams donate their time to the homeless and their pets.  

Natural Balance Pet Foods, chewy.com Pet Supplies, and Centinela Pet Feed in Los Angeles, CA have donated to support the homeless pets project. These type of donations go to people like William and Diane whose house burned down in the devastating 2018 Paradise, CA fires. There was no way that they were going to leave their dog behind or give him away when they realized they were going to have to live on the street until they could figure out how they would get back into a house. “Even on our toughest day, whenever we would look at our dog, he would always have a smile on his face and would raise our spirits, helping us to keep going for another day.” -William

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with the state of California since 2014. Financial donations make it possible for this ongoing service to continue to help those in trouble in our local communities. 

The unit can receive one time or monthly donations through the online website at www.socalk9sar.org and Venmo @socalk9searchandrescue. Thank you for trusting us with your gift.  Thank you for believing in our mission. 

Ready to deepen the bond between you and your dog?

~In an effort to continue providing free services to all search & rescue victims, we are now offering dog training programs! Thank you for supporting your local K-9 unit!~

Explore the relationship you never knew was possible with your dog! Train your K9 to be more obedient and content, walk beside you on a leash, reduce unwanted behaviors, give your dog a sense of purpose/mental stimulation and deepen your relationship through a newfound confidence and trust.

“I was so proud of our pup tonight! We went to the park, and he ran around with some of his friends. There was a little dog that ran off and one or two other dogs started chasing it down the sidewalk, away from the park. I called “come” and he came right to me! Then we went on a long walk, and he eventually took me to Starbucks and of course I had to buy him a puppaccino! We had a marvelous time. Thank you so much. I can’t believe how much joy it brings me to walk him. I’m so grateful.  Thank you for coming into our lives amd bringing so much love, wisdom, friendship and joy.”

–Graduate of Dog Behavioral Training Program

Here’s how we can help YOU!:

1) One-on-One Obedience Training

An obedient dog is a happy dog! In our obedience training program, we create a positive training experience that will lay the groundwork for you to have a great and rewarding relationship with your dog for years to come. Incorporating fun search and rescue style training with the basic obedience program, we stimulate your dog’s mind while also teaching your companion a service. In this 1-on-1 personal training class, we teach your dog using both verbal commands and hand signals (useful skills for when your dog is off leash down the road).

Cost: $150 per 90 minute session + free consultation to understand your goals and set up an appropriate plan of action to accomplish them

Cost: $150 per 90 minute session

Here is what our clients say:

-Megan M. Santa Monica, CA

“Rachel has been a godsend for my dog Rufio. Rufio is a 40 lb lagotto puppy and he arrived very curious and sweet, very goofy. However after he turned 1 yr old he started barking at security dogs at our nearby park and really defying me when it came to coming back to the leash after off-leash play. I felt really traumatized after having a pitbull for 14 years that had a lot of behavioral issues that restricted both of our lives and I didn’t want that experience for this dog. 

Rachel has such a powerful presence about her, while being so sweet and endearing. Rufio respected her immediately and wanted to work for her! She is great at breaking down the exercises so we only have a few things to practice week over week so we can get good at something and move on. She is also really great at being attuned to animal behavior, which has helped me to better understand my dog’s needs. 

I think without knowing Rufio’s cues or needs for mental stimulation we were both getting frustrated with each other. Our relationship has really improved and he is doing amazing on the leash and with obedience training. He truly enjoys the learning process and working with Rachel, he gets so excited to go to his class. 

A secondary benefit is just all the lessons I obviously needed to learn for myself to stand in my power with him, not treat him like a child, lead him and direct him – it has been really healing for me to recover some of my own power and boundaries throughout this process. 

10/10 recommend working with Rachel and her husband, they are true salt of the earth people!”

-Beth P. Los Angeles, CA

“SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is simply the best dog training around.  Trainer Rachel Burrell is a master trainer. 

She helped us with our 2 and half year old rescue Rufus. He is a sweet and friendly dog, but can be hard to handle on walks, because of his overly friendly nature. In her calm and relaxed style, Rachel showed us how to transform his behavior. I realized that I was letting him be the one in control and that in fact I was the pack leader, and that he would actually benefit from knowing that I was in charge. She also showed us that Rufus picks up on our temperament, so I am very mindful of how I do and say things around him. 

This is just one of a number of things we have learned. We’ve had other trainers before, but Rachel is the real deal. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the growth of Rufus, and we are excited as we continue to work with Rachel and see him transform.”

-Sheda M. Santa Monica, CA

“I learned about the wonderful Rachel from watching a handful of dogs around my Santa Monica neighborhood transform right before my eyes. From the minute she walked in, Rachel offered a psychological analysis of why my recently adopted senior shepherd mix (Willow) was resisting leash walks and why she had begun to assert herself after a few months of being friendly and sweet with other dogs. 

Within one session, Willow was walking beautifully on a leash, and within a few days of our first training, Willow was back to respecting me as her Alpha. 

From her house and off the clock, Rachel researched myriad naturopathic ways to reduce my dog’s skin allergies and arthritis. With a few herbs added to her diet, Willow is now entirely off her Cytopoint and Adequan and doing better than when she was on them. She’s going on longer walks (even hiking) and itching less. I only needed Rachel for two sessions, which is beyond belief, but I know she’s the one and only dog trainer I’ll ever need should other issues arise. Rachel possesses a wisdom about dogs and uses gentle and effective techniques that work. She goes beyond what you’d expect any trainer to offer, giving you all the time, energy, and support you need during the training process. I’m so fortunate to have met her and to have her continued support!”

-Lisa L. Santa Monica, CA

“If I were to imagine the ideal dog trainer for our pup, my dream came true when my spouse and I met Rachel Burrell. We were referred to her by our astute neighbor. Rachel works with me, my spouse and our dog with utmost knowledge, respect, humility and gentle guidance with all of our concerns (my overprotection, my spouse learning about Behavior Modification). Our dog Rufus adores her, as we do. Rachel trains dogs (and owners) out of innate passion, knowledge and talent. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect dog trainer: I have the utmost respect for her, and she makes the training fun for all of us. My spouse and I see how our dog is soaring in obedience while becoming happier in both pleasing us (making sure he’s safe) and still having shear joy in playing freely and happily.”

-Karen U. Westwood, CA

“My husband and I recently adopted an eight-month-old labradoodle as company for our nearly six-year-old poodle mix. We previously had an Australian Shepard who was very high-energy, so we thought—no big deal. But our new pup was larger, even more energetic, and harder to handle on walks than our Aussie had ever been. She’d also had zero training. Desperate, I was referred by a friend to Rachel.

Rachel has taught us the power of positive reinforcement, patience, and kindness. She is gentle and generous with praise both for our dog and for us. She has been helping us navigate our pup’s leash behavior, obedience, separation anxiety, and house training. Rachel has all sorts of fun drills that both dogs love and that reinforce important safety commands such as stay and come. She has been instructive in how to correct difficult behavior as well as how to modify our habits to be more successful with our puppy.

We love working with Rachel and our pup has become much easier to handle and a best friend to our other dog. We still have work to do but who knew it could be this fun.”

-Kathleen and Chase D. Santa Monica, CA

“Working with Rachel has been great! She helped us significantly improve our golden doodles obedience on walks, around other dogs and generally with day-to-day activities. Her coaching style is super positive and is very flexible in working with all types of dogs/families. Would highly recommend and we’ll continue to work with her!”

Here we will introduce you to our organization, allowing you to find out more about our history, the team and its board. We feel that we have been exceedingly blessed by God (YHWH) with SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue. We work hard and try our best to produce the best service to our communities possible, but we know beyond any doubts that He has put His hand on this endeavor. To God be the glory.

The Beginning…

In the thirteen years that Jamison Burrell worked as a decorated and awarded police officer, he enjoyed his eight years on the K9 Unit with his rottweiler, Luger, the most. When Jamison left law enforcement and changed careers to pharmaceuticals, Luger continued working with Jamison, riding in the back seat of his Pfizer company car every day, going to lunches and making sales calls to physicians.  Luger did finally pass in 2007 at a record age of 16 years old. It would be almost 7 years later that Jamison would finally be able to open himself up to another working companion.  It was Jamison’s intent to recreate the best part of his career while providing a service to give back to the community.  Together, Jamison and his border collie, Asa, began their journey to create their own nonprofit 501(c)(3) search-and-rescue unit as the ultimate man and dog team. 

Continue reading “About the Team”

Thank you for supporting our mission!

In 2015, the founders of SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue invested in the K-9 unit with all of their heart and resources. Jamie and Rachel Burrell both left their full time jobs in Los Angeles, CA to pursue SoCal K-9 SAR full time. Through turning in their entire retirement savings including 401k’s, IRA’s and CD’s, they purchased the K-9 unit’s mobile command center that they use today in addition to leashes, uniforms, websites, vet bills, dog food, training bills, and the list goes on. Driving the mobile command center van off road the majority of the time puts a lot of scratches, dings and wear and tear on the vehicle. The Mobile Command Center Van is in constant need of mechanical upkeep and bodywork. There are many other costs for running the K-9 unit (“The cost of the lost”) and advancing the impact that we are able to have. We truly appreciate your donations which help find the lost and those in trouble.

SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with the state of California since 2014. As an all volunteer unit, we passionately and willingly donate our time, services and personal funds to keep our K-9’s and handler teams highly and appropriately trained and available to our state and local communities.   With costs continually on the rise, many Search and Rescue Teams need public and corporate donations to help offset these costs, and that includes us.

Currently, SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue consists of two teams. The average cost for a K-9/handler team on our  unit consists of:

$5000 K9 Training  (yearly per K-9 team)

$2000 Food Costs (yearly per K-9 team)

$2500 Medical Costs (yearly per K-9 team)

$2000 Equipment Costs (yearly per K-9 team)

$11,500 Total yearly cost per handler/K-9 team 

Feel free to donate any amount!

It is with all of our gratitude that we thank you for your assistance in continuing to fund and support this outreach. Thank you for making us a part of your giving plans and for trusting us with your gift. 

   YOUR PAYMENT IS SECURE