Seminar Information
Our Missing Animal Response (MAR) seminar is a 5-day course is designed for shelter staff, rescue group volunteers, and anyone interesting in helping families to recover lost pets in their community. It is also designed for animal industry workers who simply want to increase their knowledge about lost pet recovery techniques, lost pet services, and lost pet behaviors. Missing Pet Partnership promotes the development of volunteer lost pet search-and-rescue teams just like what we've successfully launched in Seattle. However, anyone who plans to offer fee-based lost pet services as a pet detective is certainly welcome to take our MAR course.
The Missing Animal Response course will be held Tuesday June 26th through Saturday June 30th. Within this course we're offering two tracks: the "Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track" for those interested in hands-on training in how to approach and capture skittish, hard-to-catch dogs and how to evaluate dogs for "cat detection" work and a "Shelter Track" for animal shelter staff or volunteers interested in learning how to launch lost pet services through an animal shelter. In addition, attendees will have the option to gain valuable experience by remaining for up to seven days (July 1st through July 7th) and volunteer their time either responding on physical searches (with our search dogs) for lost pets or volunteering at a local animal shelter Lost Pet Recovery Booth, helping to counsel families who've lost a dog or cat panicked by 4th of July fireworks. Here's the tentative class schedule:
Tues June 26th - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Classroom Instruction (The Lost Pet Problem, Where do Lost Pets Go, Lost Cat Behaviors, Lost Dog Behaviors)
Weds June 27th - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Classroom Instruction (Guardian Behaviors, Rescuer Behaviors, Search Theory, Search & Recovery Applications, MAR Search Dogs)
Thurs June 28th - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Classroom Instruction (How NOT to Approach Dogs, Lost Dog Recovery Techniques, Creative Dog Captures, Lost Cat Recovery Techniques, Creative Cat Captures)
Fri June 29th - 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. - Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track Training or Shelter Track Training
Field Recue / Pet Detective Track - Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track students will observe the evaluation of search dogs for cat detection work as well as receive hands-on instruction in the use of a magnet dog & snappy snare to capture panicked dogs. To understand what is meant by "the use of a magnet dog & snappy snare," watch the below YouTube video that shows Instructor Kat Albrecht using this technique to capture a skittish dog who evaded the capture of animal control. Students who take the Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track will be encouraged to remain in Seattle after the seminar and help Missing Pet Partnership capture loose, panicked (by fireworks) dogs anytime from July 1st through July 7th.
Shelter Track - Shelter Track students will spend the day with instructors from the Regional Animal Shelter of King County (RASKC) "Mission Reunite" program and receive instruction in how to develop and launch this lost pet service-based program through their own shelter. Click here for more information on Mission Reunite. Students who take the Shelter Track will have the added option to volunteer at the RASKC shelter Mission Reunite booth anytime from July 1st through July 7th.
Sat June 30th - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Classroom Instruction (Physical Evidence, Poster Creation, Pet Grief Counseling, Lost Pet Consultations, Ethics, Q&A)
Seminar Fees
The cost for this seminar is as follows:
Shelter Track Seminar Only (June 26 - June 30, 2012) = $525.00
Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track Seminar Only (June 26 - June 30, 2012) = $525.00
Shelter Track + RASKC Shelter Booth Work (June 26 - July 7, 2012) = $550.00
Field Rescue / Pet Detective Track Seminar + MPP Lost Pet Searches & Dog Captures (June 26 - July 7, 2012) = $550.00
Pre-Register for Seminars
At this time, we are accepting pre-registrations for our seminar. Pre-registration means you're requesting registration materials. When you pre-register, you're under no obligation to complete the registration process. Only when you've paid your registration fees (or a deposit) will you be considered registered and your space in the seminar will be secure. Fill out the box below, indicate which track you're interested in, and we will send you registration materials.
How to Prepare
We strongly recommend (but we do not require) that read the following books before you attend Missing Pet Partnership's Missing Animal Response course. While all of these books contain elements that will be covered in the MAR course, the first six have the most application and are highly recommended:
- BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell*
- THE LOST PET CHRONICLES by Kat Albrecht*
- DOG DETECTIVES: Train Your Dog to Find Lost Pets by Kat Albrecht*
- "CORMAC: The Tale of a Dog Gone Missing by Sonny Brewer*
- The Lost Dog Recovery Guide by Annalisa Berns
- The Lost Cat Recovery Guide by Annalisa Berns
- The Roaming Dog Cheat Sheet by Annalisa Berns
- ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION by Temple Grandin
- SCENT and the SCENTING DOG by William Syrotuck
- READY to SERVE, READY to SAVE! Strategies of Real-Life Search & Rescue Missions by Susan Bulanda
- A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO TRAINING AND WORKING THE TRAILING DOG by John Lutenberg and Linda Porter
- ONE AT A TIME: A Week in an American Animal Shelter by Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer
- SHERLOCK BONES by John Keane
- THE HIDDEN LIFE OF DOGS by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
- FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D.
- INTRODUCTION TO SEARCH & RESCUE (ISAR) by NASAR (National Association of Search and Rescue) Available only through the NASAR bookstore.
- FORENSIC INVESTIGATION of ANIMAL CRUELTY by Leslie Sinclair, DVM (etc.)
* Our pages are copyright-protected. To share our lost pet information with others, please link or refer people to our website. To request permission to reprint material from our site, please contact us.