About Us
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Marsha Durfee
Marsha Durfee-ASCTI Certified. HRD K9 Handler.
HRD K9 Commander.
Marsha Durfee and her K9 Partner Falcon, lead the Tri-State as the Area's only independently ASCTI-Certified Human Remains Detection (HRD) Team. Their expertise and dedication ensure precision reliability in every search and recovery mission.
Marsha works hard to keep her education at the top level currently she is working on her bachelor's degree Canine Behavioral Science with London Hanover University College of Zoological Studies.
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Tyler Hansen
Tyler Hansen-ASCTI Certified SAR Handler.
SAR Tracking Commander.
Tyler Hansen and his K9 Partner Lucy are ASCTI-Certified for Live Find Operations and recognized as an independent, Certified SAR Team. Their expertise and professionalism make them a trusted presence in search and rescue missions.
Tyler Came to us with lots of experience in K9 SAR work. his Skills and knowledge are very Valuable to the team.
Meet the K9s of Desert Dogs
K9 Falcon-ASCTI Certified HRD
K9 Falcon is a 3-year-old female Belgian Malinois whose training and accomplishments reflect a high-level commitment to operational excellence, fitness, and real-world readiness.
Among her many achievements, Falcon’s Human Remains Detection (HRD) certification stands as the defining credential of her working career.
Falcon is HRD certified, having demonstrated the ability to locate and correctly identify human remains odor across varied environments under Strict evaluation standards.
This certification confirms her reliability, odor discrimination capability, and handler communication—critical components required for search and recovery operations. Her HRD title further validates her performance and consistency in detection work.
Supporting her detection certification, Falcon has earned both 3K and 5K endurance titles, highlighting exceptional physical conditioning, cardiovascular endurance, and mental resilience necessary for extended searches and demanding deployments. She also holds the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title, demonstrating stable temperament, obedience, and professionalism in public and operational settings.
Falcon’s advanced training includes ASCTI Urban Agility and Novice Parkour, skills that directly enhance her ability to safely and efficiently navigate complex terrain, urban environments, and disaster scenes. Each title she has earned reinforces her status as a deployment-ready working K9, trained with purpose and precision.
In addition to her operational accomplishments, Falcon has been selected twice for inclusion in a K9 Search and Rescue calendar, featuring her in active training and working scenarios. She proudly serves as a breed ambassador for the Belgian Malinois, exemplifying the drive, clarity, and control the breed is known for.
K9 Lucy-ASCTI Certified SAR Live Find
K9 Lucy is a young Basset Hound certified through the American Society of Canine Trainers International (ASCTI) for Live Find Search and Rescue (SAR). Despite her compact stature, K9 Lucy possesses exceptional olfactory capability and drive, proving that effectiveness in SAR work is defined by skill and training—not size.
K9 Lucy’s achievements continue to grow and reflect a strong foundation in training and reliability. She is an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy graduate, an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title holder, and ASCTI Certified for locating missing persons. These accomplishments demonstrate her solid obedience, stable temperament, and readiness to work in real-world search environments.
K9 Lucy is a dedicated and enthusiastic working partner whose focus, scenting ability, and teamwork make her a valuable asset to any SAR team. She exemplifies the professionalism, commitment, and capability required of a deployment-ready search dog.