Penn Vet Working Dog Center

Happy 9th Birthday to K9s Callie, Joey, Jolie, Lucy, Murphy and Odysseus (PVWDC Vrijheid Dutch Shepherds)! We are proud of each of these pups and the work they do each day.

Today we also recognize K9 Rookie's birthday. Rookie (KD K9s) passed away in 2023 from hemangiosarcoma, a type of cancer. Rookie was a dual purpose police K9 for Lower Merion PD partnered with Ofc. Jeff Seamans and served her department and community proudly for seven years.
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Callie, USAR, Air National Guard - retired
Joey, Lancaster County Prison
Jolie, Warrington PD
Lucy, PVWDC Research - retired
Murphy, Warrington PD - retired
Odysseus, narcotics detection K9

Happy Mother’s Day to our amazing foster moms! Thank you for your loving our pups! 🐾

Congratulations to K9 Pepe and Roy of MA-TF1 for passing their FEMA re-certification test as a live find USAR team!

𝘗𝘦𝘱𝘦 (𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘢𝘬 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘴) 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘝𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘪𝘯 2020.

Roy and Pepe

Congratulations to the seven teams from the Penn Vet Working Dog Center In-Service Law Enforcement Training Program who successfully certified at the National Detection Trial in Atlantic City, hosted by USPCA Region 15!

This is an incredible accomplishment and a true testament to the countless hours of training, dedication, teamwork, and trust between each handler and K9 partner. We are so proud to celebrate this milestone and recognize the hard work that went into earning this certification.
Please join us in congratulating these teams on a job well done!

• Rudy Navarro & K9 Zeus (Pittston Township Police Department)
• Vince Butkiewicz & K9 Kalo (Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office)
• Mike Watts & K9 Amigo (Plymouth Township Police Department)
• Dave Solen & K9 Wagner (Norristown Fire Department)
• Meg Klosterum & K9 Watson (Conshohocken Fire Department)
• Brian Mock & K9 Kali (Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department)
• Dale Keddie & K9 Tan (Bucks County District Attorney’s Office

Congrats to these two teams! We are proud to have two PVWDC grads with Wilkes-Barre Police K-9 Unit and partnered with amazing handlers! 💙

𝘒9 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 (𝘘𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘷𝘰𝘮 𝘌𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘯/𝘗𝘝𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘹 𝘝𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥)

𝘒9 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 (𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘒9 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯)

Awesome work Team Wagner! 🤩

𝘞𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘳 (𝘗𝘝𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯/𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵) 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘝𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘪𝘯 2024.

‼️We are still looking for some additional responses for the below surveys - if you were thinking about participating, now is your chance!

Tinyurl.com/pvwdcbodycondition
http://tinyurl.com/caninehealthwellness

🚨 Protecting Our Working Heroes: New Spinal Health Research 🐾

A long-term study published in AJVR followed 127 search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs to track the development of Spondylosis Deformans (SD)—a degenerative spinal condition.

For high-performance canine athletes, these "incidental" findings can impact long-term mobility. This research underscores the vital importance of regular musculoskeletal monitoring for working dogs to ensure they stay healthy in the field.

📖 Read the full study: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.08.0309

Although historically considered an incidental finding, the identification of thoracic spondylosis deformans may inform long-term musculoskeletal monitoring and clinical management strategies for search-and-rescue and other working dogs.

Open access article: jav.ma/SAR

Happy 5th birthday W'Asyk and Delta (both donated by The PA Game Commission)! W'Asyk is a single purpose ignitable liquids detection dog partnered with Fire Inspector Megotz of Scranton Fire Department. Delta is a live find urban search and rescue K9 for AZ-TF1 partnered with Dan Volcko.
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PC: Wise K9 Photography

Our survey on the occupational hazards faced by Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) K9s will close in ONE WEEK. If you are a USAR K9 handler, go to tinyurl.com/usarhazards now to complete the survey to help us improve preparation and prevention strategies.

Happy 8th Birthday Anna and Happy 7th Birthday Skiff! Anna (Barbihaus Kennels) is an explosives detection K9 for Upper Merion PD. Skiff Iron Sight K9s) is a dual purpose police K9 for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.