CHAIS_501c3

08/28/2026

Be there!

Human Remains Detection Seminar – October 23–24 | Canby, OR

Take your HRD dog to the next level.

Join current certified HRD handlers for two days of advanced, scenario-based training designed to bridge the gap between odor imprinting and real-world deployments. The seminar is open to working handlers, SAR members, law enforcement, and serious detection dog enthusiasts.

✔️ Whole recently deceased human donor available both days
✔️ Realistic operational search scenarios
✔️ Training for all experience levels, from imprinting through advanced problem solving
✔️ Limited working spots available

Ready to reserve your spot?
📞 503-308-8296
📧 [email protected]

08/08/2026

The building is still moving.

Concrete shifts under unseen weight. Dust hangs in the air. Somewhere inside the wreckage, a floor may already be gone or ready to go.

I stop at the edge. This is the exclusion zone.

In most disasters, there are areas too dangerous for anyone to enter. Collapsing structures, unstable debris, weakened floors, and the risk of secondary collapse make them unsafe.

The Incident Commander makes the call: no one goes in.

That’s when my job changes. I look to my dog, the partner I’ve trained with for years, my best friend, and I ask her to go where I can’t. That’s Urban Search and Rescue K9 work.

These dogs aren’t equipment. They’re partners who enter danger to find entrapped and to keep rescuers from becoming victims.

Tulip has to work on her own, often out of sight and beyond my reach. I send her into an area, then trust her to search, problem-solve, and stay focused without constant direction.

That kind of independence doesn’t come naturally. It’s built through repetition, training, and trust between dog and handler. It never feels easy or right.

I’m covered in PPE, personal protective equipment designed to keep me safe from the environment. A helmet to protect me from falling debris or accidental impacts. Eye protection. Gloves. Steel-toed boots. A mask to protect me from what I might inhale.

And yet, I strip my dog down to her most basic form, even removing her collar to prevent it from becoming entangled. Because if she gets stuck, I can’t go in to rescue her.

When time is critical, trusting my partner in the exclusion zone may be the only way to bring someone home.

Independent searching is what defines a true Urban Search and Rescue K9.

08/05/2026

CHAIS is now accepting applications for new members to join our Search & Rescue and Search & Recovery Team.

This isn’t for everyone.

We’re looking for men and women with a strong sense of service, exceptional mental fortitude, and the willingness to place the needs of others before their own. The work can be physically demanding, emotionally challenging, and often takes place in the worst moments of someone’s life.

Our team trains year-round in search and rescue, search and recovery, disaster response, tracking, trailing, human remains detection, live find, emergency management, and humanitarian response. We deploy alongside local, state, and federal agencies when our communities need us most.

You don’t need to have prior search and rescue experience. We can teach skills. What we can’t teach is character, integrity, humility, resilience, and a genuine desire to serve.

If you’re looking for a challenge bigger than yourself and believe you have what it takes to answer the call, we’d like to hear from you.

Apply here:
https://forms.gle/Cyf1PNV53NBSLnC77

Service before self.
When others are having their worst day, we strive to be at our best.

08/04/2026

We are honored to be of service to our community.

Another sweep is planned in 48 to 72 hours as the investigation into the fire at the 116-year-old former flour mill continues: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/no-sign-human-remains-k9-sweep-centennial-mills/283-d56e5ae5-44c6-46f6-9c57-13b60d5dc37e?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KGW-TV

08/03/2026

There are a lot of trained final responses in the detection dog world. Some dogs sit and stare. Some down. Some freeze and lock up. Others dig or scratch. Every one of those has its place depending on the job.

But in the world of Urban Search & Rescue and disaster response, there is really only one alert: the bark alert.

Whether it’s a Human Remains Detection (HRD) dog searching for someone who has died, or a Live Find dog searching for a survivor trapped beneath the rubble, the job ends the same way. The dog locates the victim, plants itself at the source, and barks.

These dogs are trained to work independently, often hundreds of feet away from their handler and sometimes completely out of sight. They don’t come back to tell us they found something. They stay with the victim and continue barking until their handler can safely reach them, reward them, and release them from their assignment. Sometimes that’s a matter of seconds. Sometimes it’s several minutes while the handler finds a safe route across an unstable collapse.

A disaster pile is one of the most hazardous environments imaginable. Floors can collapse without warning. Debris shifts. Rebar, broken glass, chemicals, fire damage, and hidden voids create constant danger. Every unnecessary step across that pile increases the risk to rescuers.

That’s why the bark alert is so important.

It allows the dog to do what they do best—go where we can’t, search where we shouldn’t, and pinpoint the exact location of a victim—while allowing the handler to remain in the safest position possible until it’s time to move. The dog becomes our eyes, ears, and voice in places that would otherwise be inaccessible.

It is one of the most beautiful demonstrations of trust between a handler and a working dog. The handler trusts the dog to solve the problem independently. The dog trusts that no matter how long it takes, their handler is coming.

These dogs are truly remarkable.

08/02/2026

One of the most overlooked parts of disaster K9 work happens after the search. Fire, flood, and USAR environments expose dogs to everything from soot, ash, chemicals, sewage, fuel, mold, and biological hazards to sharp debris and unknown contaminants. And once the work is done, those dogs will lick, groom, and ingest whatever is left in their coat and paws.

That’s why decontamination starts before the dog ever gets back in the vehicle. Remove all gear, brush off debris, check paws and body for injury, then rinse thoroughly from head to tail. Follow with a proper canine shampoo (sometimes twice), making sure to clean between toes, under the body, and around the face. Rinse completely and dry well.

Afterward, do a full physical check and monitor the dog for any changes in health over the next few days. Don’t forget the equipment—everything that entered the scene must be cleaned and disinfected too.

Decon isn’t just cleanup. It’s protection—for the dog, the handler, and everyone who goes home after the mission. They work hard for us… take care of them.

04/21/2026

There’s a side of what we do at CHAIS that rarely gets talked about.

You won’t see photos of it.
You won’t hear many stories about it.
And that’s intentional.

The advocacy side of this organization is built on confidentiality. It’s built on trust. Our handlers are stepping into some of the hardest moments imaginable—standing alongside young victims of trafficking, exploitation, and abuse as they navigate the system and begin to find their footing again.

There’s no spotlight for that work.

But it matters.

A lot.

These handlers show up every time they’re called. No recognition, no expectation—just a willingness to serve. They are, without question, the unsung heroes of this organization.

I want to take a moment to recognize one of those people.

Kim Laasko.

Kim consistently shows up when she’s needed—and more than that, she’s always asking how she can do more. That mindset is rare, and it makes a real difference for our team and for the people we serve.

Alongside her is Bellah, her therapy K9, who brings a calm, steady presence into environments where it’s needed most. What they do together matters more than most people will ever see or understand.

And in true Kim fashion, she never shows up empty-handed—bringing snacks and taking care of the team during SAR trainings in a way that doesn’t go unnoticed.

Kim, I appreciate you.
Your consistency, your humility, and your willingness to serve.

You represent exactly what CHAIS is supposed to be.
———-

If you feel called to support that mission, please consider donating. CHAIS is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and your donation is tax-deductible. In addition to deploying SAR K9 teams, we provide therapy and protection K9s to survivors of human trafficking as they face their abusers in court.
Help us be ready when it matters most.

Donation link in bio.