January 21, 2009 - Shreveport Fire Department Search and Rescue K-9 Receives Pet of the Year Award

Tracker, a 5-year old black Labrador Retriever

A Shreveport Fire Department(SFD) Search and Rescue(SAR) K-9 has been nominated and selected to receive the Louisiana Veterinarian Medical Association(LVMA) 2008 Pet of the Year award. Tracker, a 5-year old black Labrador Retriever, was nominated by local Veterinarian, Kathryn McFadden. Dr. McFadden provides veterinarian service for all SFD K-9 search and rescue dogs. Tracker is a live search K-9 that works as an air scent dog. Tracker and his trainer, SFD Firefighter Rick Morrow, were specifically nominated for their efforts in locating two girls, ages 4 and 6, who had been kidnapped on September 15, 2008, near a wooded area along Westport Avenue in West Shreveport. The SFD K-9 Search and Rescue team were assisting the Shreveport Police Department in searching for the girls and their kidnapper. Tracker located the girls in only 15 minutes after they had spent more than five hours in the woods.

Fire Chief Brian Crawford said, “The K-9 Search and Rescue team is a valuable part of the department’s emergency response resources capable of assisting other public safety agencies in emergency incidents such as this one.”

Firefighter Rick Morrow and Tracker will receive the award at the LVMA Annual Convention and Awards Banquet in New Orleans during the weekend of February 7-8, 2009. Firefighter Morrow stated, “This is a great honor for Tracker and I look forward to representing the Shreveport Fire Department and the K-9 SAR team on a state level.” See picture of Rick Morrow and Tracker.