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Book Cover for: A Dog's Devotion: True Adventures of a K9 Search and Rescue Team, Suzanne Elshult

A Dog's Devotion: True Adventures of a K9 Search and Rescue Team

Suzanne Elshult

Gold Medal Winner:Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards -Adventure/Recreation (2022)
This is an inside view of a remarkable K9 search and rescue team operating in the wilds of Washington State whose "principal investigator" is a yellow lab named Keb. Keb's story is of a dedicated K9 who can distinguish the scent of the dead from the scent of the living, and who can detect buried bones and even corpses underwater. Readers will follow this intrepid K9 and her teammates as they face the challenges of changeable weather, deep northwest forests, high mountain slopes, and menacing coyotes to find dead bodies, missing hikers, and even the bones of murder victims from long ago. Among their successes: finding multiple victims buried by the 2014 Oso Landslide, solving the mysterious disappearance of women in wealthy suburbs, and finding human bones thought to be forever lost to time. It's their story about evolving as search and rescue volunteers while overcoming harsh conditions, inner demons, and a rust-bound bureaucracy. This is a unique, first-hand visit into the little-known world of dedicated SAR volunteers who find their purpose while searching for the lost and the dead. It will also appeal to anyone fascinated by how rescue K9s are raised, trained, and deployed in service to law enforcement under difficult conditions.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Lyons Press
  • Publish Date: Sep 2nd, 2025
  • Pages: 314
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.00in - 6.00in - 0.70in - 0.93lb
  • EAN: 9781493081455
  • Categories: Animals - MammalsOutdoor SkillsGeneral

About the Author

Suzanne Elshult has been active in Search and Rescue (SAR) since 2001. She is the president of Cascadia Search Dogs, has held leadership positions with Snohomish County Search and Rescue and Everett Mountain Rescue. She received Washington State Recognition for contributions to the SAR community. Elshult and K9 Keb have searched for missing persons on hundreds of missions in wilderness, disaster, and urban environments. Elshult and Keb are still actively deploying in the mountains and communities of the Pacific Northwest. They live in Edmonds, Washington.

James Guy Mansfield, PhD, has been active in Search and Rescue since 2008. With Everett Mountain Rescue, he has deployed on wilderness, disaster, technical rope-rescue missions, and searches for abducted children. Mansfield has managed some of the largest searches in Washington State, and assisted law enforcement on major homicide cases. He has been recognized by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department and the governor of Washington State for his role on high-profile SAR missions. He is a director of the Washington State Search and Rescue Planning Unit. He lives in Edmonds, Washington.

Praise for this book

NetGalley Review: 5 stars

Last updated on 11 Aug 2022

"This is a great inside look at the Search & Rescue groups and what it takes to dedicate your life to it. The book tells of different searches that Suzanne, her dog Keb, and her good friend and search support partner Guy volunteered on. The Oso landslide was harrowing to read about, with so many lost. It shows the variables between different types of searches and how wound up the searchers can get on the scene. Such an interesting read."--Valerie Shampine, consumer reviewer

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 08 Oct 2022

"I learned a lot reading this. The first hand accounts are interesting. Anyone can enjoy this, including those considering working in a k9 unit.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!"--Paul V, consumer reviewer