Cairn Canine Detection

03/07/2025

Congratulations to our teammate Sally Olsen and K9 Meara on their certification in Land, Human Remains Detection with the National Search Dog Alliance!

This team has a bright future ahead!!

03/02/2025

Congratulations to our President, Suzanne Elshult and K9 Kili on their recertification in Land, Human Remains Detection with the National Search Dog Alliance!

We appreciate all you do and your commitment to bringing home the lost and the missing!

01/30/2025

Guy and I had a great time doing a presentation to the Washington State Department of Emergency Management Duty Officers on search and rescue K9 capabilities this afternoon . Thank you Amy Allbritton, Washington State SAR Coordinator for the invite.

01/11/2025

Our Cairn Canine Detection team spent a fascinating morning with Melissa Chapman, Caretaker at the Snohomish Woodlawn Cemetery, followed by training in the “green section - natural burials. One of the interesting facts she shared, in addition to educating us about various types of burials, was that bodies often were buried with a bell tied to the hand. Want to find out why?

01/07/2025

Another project we participated in.

01/05/2025

Kili, Guy and Suzanne had a great time this morning at the Edmonds Library doing a presentation to the Peter Puget DAR Chapter on how we train and deploy our historically trained human remains detection dogs. This group was especially interested in the work we do supporting old cemetery restorations by finding unmarked graves. Extra plus that my neighbor Victoria Lewin was in attendance. Thank you Trish for inviting us.

01/03/2025

It is rewarding to have clients that appreciate the work we do with our historically trained human remains detection dogs finding the voices of ancestors. "Many thanks to you and your dogs. You have helped us confirm locations needed to place our new headstones properly in the family plots." Marion (Mick) Hersey, Historical Memorial Preservationist

12/29/2024

Thank you for being part of our journey. Cheers to an amazing New Year!

12/21/2024

Another dream realized. 2024 has been an amazing year for Cairn Canine Detection with many days of pro bono projects ranging from locating unmarked burials of long lost children at a Native American boarding school, a large closed down "insane asylum," as well as multiple preservation projects at old cemeteries and more. We are also grateful to have been able to support the Wa State Truth and Reconciliation Council and MMIWP efforts, including the first Cold Case Unit dedicated to murdered and missing indigenous women and people.

Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a bright and happy New Year!

12/20/2024

Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and a bright and happy New Year!

12/19/2024

We were honored to help Mick Hersey and his team with the Bethel Cemetery historic preservation project today. Our dogs had 66 alerts, 44 of which were corroborations of alerts of other dogs. Mick shared the plot map, history of the cemetery and how he makes news gravestones using lime rocks from the old Bremerton Harrison Hospital. Interesting stuff. We will be back.

12/16/2024

Sometimes we work interiors. Kili loves it.

12/12/2024

So this is how Scott and I spent 4 hours today. I am up to speed on all SAR training requirements, including Furst Aud and CPR. Wohoo!

12/11/2024

Awesome article. Congrats Kim and team.

As First Nations communities continue to hone in on possible unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools, some are now using human remains detection dogs to assist in that effort.