Police Dogs At NBLA’s Open Meeting

The Newtown Bridle Lands Association (NBLA) will have an open meeting on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30 pm in the lower level of the Newtown Meeting House across from the Flag Pole on Main Street.

Chris Clark and Cathy Kohut will give a Resources in Search and Rescue (RSAR) presentation and discuss how their dogs are used to locate lost and missing people. RSAR’s mission is to reunite lost or missing people with their families, and assist in the location of deceased individuals.

Their dogs are certified through the International Police Work Dog Association and they are trained in air scent search, human remains detection, and water recovery.

The handlers are an all volunteer and professionally trained, as part of this self-funded organization. Members offer their time, energy, and resources to help others. They are deployed through local police and fire departments. They also promote the prevention of lost and missing people by offering educational programs to various civic organizations.

Their canines are trained using primarily positive reinforcement methods. As part of their presentation, they will demonstrate some of the tools and techniques used to train their canines to provide rapid and accurate alerts while ignoring distractions such as other animals, people, noise, and activity.  They will also demonstrate how a K9/handler team functions as a unit and how they communicate with each other.

This event is free to NBLA members, but a donation is requested from non-members. All proceeds will benefit animal rescue and animal service organizations through Greengirlz Pet Photography. Visit www.greengirlz.com for information. Refreshments will be served after the presentation. Contact the NBLA at newtownhorses@charter.net or 203-791-4853. RSVP is appreciated.