Kate Hunter BASP and SARDA(Scotland)
In 2011 I began taking my collie cross Springer Spaniel Bodie to work with me and she and I started our Avalanche / Search and Rescue journey. We first trained with a Avalanche observer and forecaster from Canada who had come to Scotland with his dog for the winter. Neither of us really knew what to do but Bodie was a natural. I just wanted her to find me if I was buried.
I was invited in 2017 to train with Search and Rescue Dog Association (Scotland) along side the dog handlers from Mountain Rescue teams. In 2018 Bodie qualified as a Novice dog and we became Scotland’s first Ski patrol Avalanche dog.
Bodie is now retired and I have a new lively ginger Labrador (Mistletoe) who has just started training and hopefully will qualify next March.
At FIPS in Bariloche in 2019 we started the Dog sig and will welcome all dog handlers to join our group.
Ulrika Wärvik – Sweden
My name is Ulrika Wärvik. I’m a dog handler with my third dog. I have always had a German Shepherd, and the first one was father to the second and grandpa to the one I have now. His name is Äsch, 5 years old and he is approved and working both with avalanche rescue and finding lost persons both summer and wintertime.
My own career is as a nurse and now I’m working as an anestetic nurse. When I’m not training and working with my dog (sometime I also spend time with my family, one 17 year old son, a daughter of 13 and their father 😆)
As a ski patroller I just worked one season up in Riksgränsen, Sweden. After that I worked many years educating new ski patrollers in first aid and also educated/trained patrollers who have worked many years. We have a system in Sweden that every second year you worked as a ski patroller you should have a two day learning course on new things in first aid and other things.
Gonzalo Fano – Argentina
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU004dag5oJ/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
Introducing India🐕, who accompanied Gonzalo Fano from the Cathedral ski patrol team during the 2021💫 winter season.
She is a Border Collie trained in avalanche search and rescue. Her work, in most cases, is essential within an organized rescue team.
Giuseppe Cerza – Italy
