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Hurricane Kartina
 West Jersey K9 Search and Rescue Team members were deployed to Mississippi to help in the recovery efforts in Hancock County. There were a list of 23 names of people who have not been located. Rescue International had been in the gulf since the beginning and was in charge of managing a rotation of cadaver dogs to come throughout the next few months to aid in this effort.
 Conditions were very hot and muddy and dogs needed to become acclimated to the climate. WJK9 was notified late on a Friday afternoon that they were desperately needed by Sunday to relieve the current dogs that were working there. Katrene and Linda loaded their equipment and their faithful companions Morgan and Kobie in the van and off they went on their 1300 mile journey. Upon arrival Sunday morning, they were greeted and checked in to the EOC given ID badges then put immediately to work.
 Their first mission was to locate a Mother and Son who lived in what use to be two beautiful log homes along the coast. These homes were now separated from their foundations and the attics and debris were found a football field away. Throughout the next week the team worked l ong hot hours until the list of names became shorter and shorter until finally the last name was removed. We spent three long days locating this person, her name was Penny Kraus. She stayed to ride out the storm since the local shelter would not take her two small dogs. The last contact with her was a phone call to her Daughter as she screamed for help as she watched a 35 foot wave heading right for her then there was silence.
 Long hours went into searching the rubble piles that were every where, finally after Morgan indicated that there was human scent near the canal where Penny lived so a request went out for a boat to do a water search. In the boat, Kobie confirmed strongly that there was indeed human scent in the canal. There was also a 15 foot male gator that lived there. There was  many support people and police there with weapons to protect the dogs and their handlers. This was the first time West Jersey had to deal with this sort of hazard. There is still dogs being rotated in and out of the surrounding counties through Rescue International, WJK9 team members Katrene & Morgan and Linda & Kobie are considering another deployment in the beginning of November.
 West Jersey wishes to commend the dogs teams that have sacrificed their time and money as volunteers to help in the recovery effort in the gulf. It was amazing to see how united we became with the other dog teams, each of us working for the common goal. It was a pleasure to work with such a professional group of people who’s loving commitment to humanity warmed our hearts and grounded our souls.
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