Meet our Handlers

K9 Phoenix and K9 Zephyr (not shown here)

DeeDee has been a member of the team since 2018. She brings the team 40+ years of experience as a competitive sled dog racer and 50+ years of experience traveling throughout Alaska using boats, snow machines, dog teams, and cross-country skis. She has also completed numerous mountain backcountry running competitions and has extensive wilderness first aid training and canine wilderness first aid training.

K9 Quigley

Alison has been a member of the team since 2021. She is a professional dog trainer and has completed internships with out of state trainers specializing in scent detection. She has also completed canine and wilderness first aid courses. In her free time she is an avid hiker, skier, and rock climber. She enjoys combining her passion for dogs with the outdoors.

K9 Fly and Rex

Cassie is a lifelong Alaskan who enjoys experiencing life with her dogs—they go everywhere together. She joined the team in 2018 to work with her dogs in ways that helped others. When she isn't training or adventuring with dogs, she is taking photos of them. Cassie can usually be found with a coffee mug in her hand and is extremely motivated by chocolate donuts and french fries.

K9 Dozi

With her previous dog partner, Suka, Vikki started Search and Rescue in 1999 and was certified in Human Remains Detection (HRD). Her second canine partner, Taiya, was also certified in HRD in 2012. She was part of the original Solstice team that started in 2016. In 2020, started her third canine partner, Dazi. In her free time she enjoys archery, snowmachining, and hiking and skiing with Dazi.

K9 Rip

Sandra started Search and Rescue (SAR) in Tok, Alaska, in 2002 with her first dog. She has done numerous searches in Alaska and the lower 48. With her three SAR dogs, she has achieved 24 national certifications, is certified in Sartech II, and has achieved all of her National Incident Management System training.

K9 Bandit

Dan is very experienced in Search and Rescue and has been working with Bandit since 2015. Dan certified in SARTECH II and Man Tracking III in 2009. He is currently volunteering with Bandit as a dog team and support with snowmachine and ATV.

K9 Gem

Kathleen has been interested and passionate about Search and Rescue (SAR) since the 70s when she learned about tracking and trailing dogs. Then, in the 80s, she taught orientation in roadless, remote Idaho, where too many people were lost and never found. Dogs were not available back then, so that gave her the determination to have and train a dog to help. She has been with our team since 2018. When not doing SAR, her favorite things are drawing dog portraits, hunting, and training their dogs, horses, and mules. 

K9 Brego and K9 Sally

Stacey has been in canine Search and Rescue since 2009 and has certified canines for trailing, live area, human remains detection, water, and avalanche search. Stacey is always prepared, and you can count on her to have pretty much anything SAR related in her backpack or vehicle.

K9 Daphne

Samantha has been in Search and Rescue (SAR) since 2023. She has extensive training in first aid, wilderness first aid, and dog obedience. Her first SAR canine partner is Daphne. Samantha enjoys hiking, eating, and playing with her dogs.