Laura Pettler & Associates

14/11/2026

The best advice anyone ever gave me?

"You can't."

Haters have said this to me for nearly three decades now about my inventions.

Those two words have fueled my dreams, my determination, and more accomplishments in my life than any two words of encouragement ever have.

Today, as I look at Lex’s hard work in our classroom at XR Crossroads Ranch ready for the NASAR Search & Rescue Academy at , I'm reminded that everything starts with someone willing to believe in something. I am good with being the one who believes.

And when the road gets difficult, sometimes you just have to trust your horse, keep moving forward, and ride straight through the deep water.

12/11/2026

What happens when the searcher becomes the person who needs help? An injury, exhaustion, or a change in weather can turn a search assignment into a medical emergency, and help may be a long way from where we’re working. When we prepare to search for someone else, we also have a responsibility to prepare for what could happen to us and the people working beside us.

This week in The Briefing Room, I’m discussing why wilderness first aid is part of search readiness, right alongside navigation, communication, and understanding our assignments. I’m preparing to take Wilderness First Aid as a student myself during our November 15–22 NASAR Search & Rescue Academy at LPAIFI, building on the first aid foundation Josh and Terri Faulkenberry have given me. Hosting this academy is exciting, and I’m looking forward to being in class, learning, and putting those skills to work alongside our attendees. Article six of Before the Search, “Wilderness First Aid Is Part of Search Readiness,” is available now. I’ll put the link in the comments. 💙

11/11/2026

I was still a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst back then by The International Association for Identification, an association of about 10k people in 85 countries. I was certified in 2008, among about the first 500 people back then to achieve the highest level accredited in the United States.

After 30 years in the field, I still never take for granted the opportunity to stand before a room full of investigators to share the work I love. This plaque from the National Homicide Investigators Association’s 30th anniversary conference in 2018 reminded me today how honored I was to present and how grateful I remain to be part of this homicide investigation community .

There’s something special about being among people who understand the responsibility of this work, but more than that, the lives behind the cases, the families waiting for answers, and the determination it takes to keep searching for the .

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of learning from and working alongside so many dedicated investigators. Those relationships mean more to me than I can put into words.

To , thank you for welcoming me, for the opportunity to contribute, and for bringing together people who care so deeply about People. Looking back, I’m reminded that being invited to teach is an honor, and being part of this mission is a duty. 💙

10/11/2026

NASAR's Certification Patches are unmistakable. They clearly communicate where you are in NASAR's system. Their numbering system goes in reverse:

Basic - SAR III is their Non-Wilderness Certification (awareness level),

Level 1 Operational: SAR II is their Wilderness Certification

THE BIG ONE! SAR I is their Wilderness-Backcountry Certification (MAD RESPECT FOR THESE FOLKS).

Laura Pettler & Associates and associates recommends National Association for Search and Rescue FUNSAR and SAR III Certification to get started in any kind of search and rescue. There is a huge difference between being qualification and readiness. NASAR's FUNSAR Fundamentals of SAR gets you started. SAR III builds critical awareness for non-wilderness SAR. Then SAR II begins your journey on wilderness SAR. Again, the more I know, the more I know, I don't know...that's been the name of the game for my personal journey the past few years. We are excited to welcome NASAR SAR Academy and the brave men and women attendees who risk their lives so others may live to XR Crossroads Ranch next week! Let's go! :) - Dr. Laura

09/11/2026

What happens when the person you’ve been searching for is found deceased? It’s a difficult moment for everyone involved, and the decisions made around that location can affect our ability to understand what happened. Once immediate life safety needs have been addressed, searchers’ observations, movements, and documentation can become important parts of the death investigation. How a scene initially looks doesn’t tell us whether the death was an accident, su***de, homicide, or natural.

In this week’s article in The Briefing Room, I’m discussing the transition from search to recovery and why we need to prepare searchers for that responsibility before they encounter it in the field. This connection between search operations and death investigation is central to my Mounted Forensic Operations System and the conversations we’re building as we prepare for our NASAR Search & Rescue Academy at LPAIFI, November 15–22. Article five of our Before the Search series is available now. Link in the comments. - Dr. Laura 💙

02/11/2026

Great opportunity to study forensic psychology and lost person behavior, new investigative techniques, and ways we strengthen communities to help missing people and families in need.

Join us April 13-15, 2027, in Las Vegas, Nevada, as NASAR and National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College bring you the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Conference, a premier event focused on the search, investigation, recovery, identification, and reunification of missing persons. Attendees will explore innovative technologies, evidence-based practices, and collaborative strategies that support successful outcomes for missing person cases.

Why should SAR professionals attend?

✅ Learn cutting-edge techniques and tools that can strengthen search operations and missing person investigations.
✅ Hear from nationally recognized experts and practitioners working real-world cases.
✅ Network with professionals from search and rescue, law enforcement, emergency management, forensics, victim services, and more.
✅ Gain valuable insights into the unique challenges facing vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, Indigenous communities, trafficking victims, veterans, and other at-risk groups.

The connections and resources developed at this conference can have a lasting impact on your team and community.

Bonus: NASAR members are eligible for a $100 registration discount!
https://tinyurl.com/MissingUnidentified

02/11/2026

🚨 IN SEARCH AND RESCUE, SIGNALS ARE IMPORTANT!

When someone is lost in the wilderness, knowing how to signal for help can save lives.

The LPAIFI 2026 hosted NASAR FUNSAR/SARTECH II Academy emphasizes the practical skills that prepare searchers for real-world emergencies.

Because being prepared isn’t optional…it’s smart.

Jimmie M. Canfield
DrLaura Pettler
XR Crossroads Ranch

29/10/2026

🐴 FROM THE ARCHIVES! Circa 2005! LOL!

Here's a little piece of LPA and forensic horsemanship history I thought you might enjoy! Back in 2005, when my company was operating as Carolina Forensics LLC, I developed a Crime Scene Investigation and Preservation Program for Mounted Police Units. I wrote a field guide, developed the curriculum and training materials, and planned a three-day course for March 2006 in Waxhaw, North Carolina.

I wanted to combine my experience in crime scene investigation with my background in mounted law enforcement, horse training, and classical horsemanship to teach officers how to recognize, protect, and preserve physical evidence encountered during mounted operations.

Michael Parker, my boss at the District Attorney's Office, endorsed the program and wrote something that has stayed with me all these years: “Crime Scene Preservation is the first step in successful prosecution.”

Well, life had other plans! LOL! I moved into Michael's office, my forensic career took me in another direction, and the course never happened. The program went on the shelf, and there it stayed for nearly twenty years.

Fast forward to 2024, when Coroner Deese and I decided to build her mounted program. I developed it and put it into operation in 2025, bringing me back into professional mounted program development. Then, in 2026, I launched Pettler's Mounted Forensic Operations System (MFOS), integrating forensic science, forensic psychology, and equine psychology into a comprehensive professional mounted operations system. A long time 21 year dream come true for me!

Carolina Forensics LLC began doing business as Laura Pettler & Associates in 2015, so it's still the same company, with the same forensic foundations that inspired me back in 2005.

Looking through these old files, photographs, and training materials has been quite a trip down memory lane. Twenty-one years later, it's pretty incredible to see how my two professional worlds have finally come together again and this time for good!

28/10/2026

What happens when one search team has information that could change the search, but the next team never hears it? A corrected timeline, a witness statement, or a discovery in the field can influence where we look for a missing person, but only if that information reaches the people making decisions and the teams carrying out those assignments. We can have committed, experienced searchers covering ground and still lose valuable time when everyone is working from a different understanding of what happened.

In this week’s article in The Briefing Room, “Search Teams Need a Shared Picture, Not Just More Boots,” I’m discussing why briefing, documentation, and communication matter to the search itself. From a forensic perspective, we have to keep track of what we know, where that information came from, and what remains uncertain as new information develops. This is article four of our Before the Search series as we prepare for our inaugural NASAR Search & Rescue Academy at LPAIFI, November 15–22. I’ll put the article link in the comments. 💙

28/10/2026

Forensic Operations Horses don’t get to call out sick when someone is missing. Instead. Pouring rain. Hooves moving. Hard work ahead.

XR Crossroads Ranch's Friesian mare Kismet and Dr. Pettler making their way through Kentucky Horse Park during the September 2026 National Mounted Police Colloquium 40-hour course. Soaked through and still showing up to train. Mounted forensic operations demand preparation for the conditions you get not just the conditions you want. That commitment starts in training...in all weather.

Explore LPA’s Mounted Forensic Operations System training program. Inaugural MFOS class: November 15-22, 2026 at XR Crossroads Ranch.

We don’t get to order the weather. At LPA we get in the saddle.