Buckeye Search and Rescue Dogs

BSARD helps host IPWDA certification testing every year for The Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams, facilitating testing for K9 teams from all over Ohio (and sometimes beyond!). This is an expensive undertaking, and if you'd like to support, it buy a shirt!

Join us on Friday, October 9, at 10:00 a.m. as we honor the life, service, and lasting legacy of Natural Resources Officer Jason Lagore at the Jason Lagore Memorial Dog Park in Caesar Creek State Park.

This special dedication will bring together Jason’s family, friends, fellow officers, ODNR representatives, Friends of Ohio K9 supporters, project partners, and community members who helped make this memorial possible.

Following the ceremony, guests are invited to explore the memorial plaza and dog park, walk the trails, visit the dog beach, and meet Natural Resources Officers.

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate a legacy of service that will continue to inspire future generations.

📍 Caesar Creek State Park
8570 E. State Route 73, Waynesville, OH 45068

Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Friends of Ohio K9, Inc.
Ohio, The Heart of it All

The Joshua Alert went into effect yesterday. Learn more about Ohio’s emergency missing-person alerts below and how they can help bring missing Ohioans home.

Please plan on joining us for this event!!! We are so honored to be able to have had this opportunity to build the dog park in Natural Resource Officer Lagore’s memory!

Many of you may remember K9 Karson, the Wilmington police K9 who escaped and spent 2 months lost in the wintertime nearly 10 years ago before being reunited with his handler. Karson retired from police K9 work but lived out the rest of his days with his handler who never gave up on bringing him back home.

Alert HC: Per Harrison Fire: LEAVE AREA NOW along Lawrenceburg Rd down to Suspension Bridge Rd due to DANGEROUS FLOODING. Flood waters can move swiftly and rise rapidly. Use caution driving. Take pets and do not waste time packing personal belongings. Shelter open at 505 Bielby Rd. DO NOT return to area until directed by local officials. Sent: 8/13/26 at 9:05 PM

"I've always wanted to do Search and Rescue." Those are words we hear almost on a daily basis. Most of these people mean well, and they have a generous heart. But they have no idea what that sentence really means. They don't realize the commitment. The hours upon hours you'll spend. The thousands of dollars that come out of your own pocket. Being tired, worn down, and feeling like you can't go another step, then another call comes in.
I've always wanted to do Search and Rescue, until you realize every spare minute of your life will be dedicated to SAR. That family vacation you planned? It's now replaced with a seminar. Late nights writing training logs. Extra money spent on more gear. The miles you put on your vehicle. The late nights and early mornings in the woods, searching for any clues. The heartbreak of talking with a family desperately searching for answers about where their loved one is. The heartache of working a 20-year-old cold case, hoping today is the day you can finally bring someone home. The wet socks. Mud in places it shouldn't be. Worn out boots. Dead flashlight batteries. No cell service to load your map. A radio that won't reach base. And the voice in the back of your head asking, "Did I do enough?" So if you're thinking about joining Search and Rescue, ask yourself one question... Is this about me... or is it about them?

We'll be at Hamilton Township Touch-A-Truck again this year - come see us (and our dogs)!

Sadly, we have another K9 memorial we must share. BSARD K9 Griff served from 2014 to 2025, holding certifications in mantrailing, wilderness area search, human remains detection (land and water), and article search. Griff participated in some 45 search operations before retiring in 2025. Our sincere condolences go out to handler Karen and her family at this difficult time.