Black Swamp Search and Rescue is a Non-Profit K9 Search and Rescue group in Northwest Ohio. We train, and deploy Search and Rescue Canines with Local, State, and Federal agencies with our focus being a local resource to the Northwest Ohio area.

Our K9s are available to agencies at no cost, 24/7/365.

We currently have 6 active handlers, 5 certified K9s, 2 K9s-in-training, and 2 support personnel. Our K9s are certified in Area Search, and Human Remains Detection-both on land, and on water. Primarily, the team is composed of handlers and personnel that are area local first responders.

6 of our members are local first responders.

Shelbie Flegal is a handler with K9s Darwin and Apple. She is also a Firefighter/Paramedic with Springfield Township Fire.

Andrew Slife is a handler-in-training with K9 Rosie. He is also a Firefighter/Paramedic with Perrysburg Township Fire.

Tina Anderson is a handler with K9 Tack. She is the communications director for Sandusky County Sheriff's Office.

Kristin Tanner is a handler-in-training with K9 Inara. She is also a Captain with Toledo Fire and Rescue.

Marc Tanner is support personnel, and also a drone operator with aspirations to become a handler. He is a Firefighter/Paramedic with Toledo Fire and Rescue.

Jennifer Huber is support personnel. She is a Firefighter with Liberty Center Fire Department.

We also have 2 civilian handlers.

Navy Veteran Gina Johnston with K9 Styx and Debbie Johnston with K9 Nellie. K9 Nellie is also worked by both Gina and Debbie.

All additional training, veterinary care, and food for the dogs are funded by the handlers themselves. This also includes travel expenses and accommodations when responding to mutual aide searches for other agencies outside of Northwest Ohio.

Furthermore, we travel nationwide to participate in training seminars and obtain certifications, ensuring that our dogs are consistently prepared and ready for their next assignment.

We are currently members of the National Search Dog Alliance, The North American Police Work Dog Association, and The International Police Work Dog Associations. We are also members of the Ohio K9 Federation of K9 Search Teams.

Typically, we engage in fundraising activities throughout the year at various dog sporting events, such as dock diving, as well as through basket and 50/50 fundraisers. We have also conducted demonstrations at several festivals in the past. Additionally, each member contributes $50 annually in dues.

At present, we are working to raise funds for training, training equipment, funds for electronic collars, a zodiac boat, and an emergency fund for the K9s.

Training for the team is paramount. Training is required for us to learn new skills, better skills already learned, and help prepare us for deployments to serve when called. These trainings can include (but aren't limited too) medical training for our K9s, advanced SAR techniques, exposure training seminars for our K9s and much more. With these, a cost is associated. Being a non-profit, volunteer team, these costs come out of pocket from us as handlers. Costs for these courses are quite expensive and can range greatly; additionally, housing is often needed for the team as these training seminars are often multiple days. Fees for the trainings, hotels, food costs, it can add up quite quickly. Further, some trainings could require items for the dogs, and/or the handler that we do not already have. Training equipment can also be expensive.

An additional expensive cost for the team are electronic collars, and/or electronic GPS collars for the dogs on the team that do not have one. These can vary in costs, but typically are a large investment.

Another significant purchase we are seeking to fundraise for is a Zodiac boat for Water Human Remains Detection (HRD) training. A substantial portion of our calls are related to water recovery, and our Water HRD dogs are capable of detecting deceased individuals underwater. They alert the handler on the boat to the victim's location, providing Fire and Police Department divers with a specific area to search and dive, thereby saving time and resources and enhancing the safety of the human divers by minimizing their underwater exposure.

While we currently have access to various Fire Department boats for K9 training—thanks to the generous support of local departments such as Monclova Township Fire Department, Springfield Township Fire Department, and Toledo Fire and Rescue—these boats are often in service and may be needed for emergency rescues. Having our own boat would eliminate the need to utilize these critical resources for routine training, ensuring they remain available for emergencies. Additionally, it would enable us to conduct searches in areas where certain entities may not have access to a boat.

This purchase represents a considerable investment. We are looking into acquiring a Zodiac boat capable of holding three people and one K9, which, along with the motor, will cost approximately $5,000, excluding the trailer for transportation. This lightweight boat will grant us access to bodies of water that may not have a boat launch, significantly enhancing our operational capabilities.

Additional funds would be placed into a fund for emergency use of the handlers for an injured, or sick K9. Over the years, we've had emergencies come up that often get expensive, and these K9s are an investment. With that being said, medical care is paramount in these emergencies and if the team is able to supplement the handlers costs, it does ease the burden.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Black Swamp Search and Rescue. We greatly appreciate any donation, regardless of size. Every contribution makes a difference!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us on our Facebook page if you have any questions! Thanks again!