Search and rescue dog, Drew, died Feb. 12 at Anchorage Pet Emergency as a result of complications of cancer. He was almost 13 years old. In his seven year career, he performed 12 search missions for lost and missing persons in avalanche, wilderness and human remains for the Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police, and FBI/ATF. He was certified in Disaster First Responder and Human Remains Detection, having trained in North Carolina, Florida and Nevada, as well as Alaska. Among his missions were avalanche searches at Alyeska Ski Resort, and Turnagain Pass and missing persons in the Hope area.
In addition, he delighted hundreds of school children, Boy and Girl Scouts, and community organizations with educational programs and search dog demonstrations. Drew was known to Girdwood children through his work with the Forest Explorers Program given by the Chugach National Forest.
In his retirement after age ten, Drew became a Certified Therapy Dog to bring comfort to Alzheimer’s patients and residents at Providence Horizon House in Anchorage.
Among his favorite games were Frisbee, Fly Ball and outsmarting his handler. He leaves behind his apprentice, Meg, another Border Collie, and his handler, Carol Sanner.