Over the last 43 years that I've been involved with Search and Rescue as a Volunteer, and now as a paid professional, my credibility was never the issue.
1972-1974 Having volunteered my time with Multnomah County Sheriff's office as a cadet and Explorer, from time to time our Law Enforcement Explorer Post# 900 we would be called in to assist ESAR Post# 631 in evidence and human searches. I was the first cadet / explorer in the State of Oregon to attend and complete a full 360 hour adult police academy.
1974-1977 When I joined the US Army Military Police on occasion would be involved in assisting local law enforcement and other agencies in their search operations for the missing. Mostly helicopter rescue operations.
1974-1996 When I became a police officer and worked as a regular cop, and later on went part time and volunteered as a reserve officer; my credibility was never challenged in or outside the courtroom. I also became a Police officer Self Defense and Survival instructor for the Police Academy and also taught the Monadnock PR-24 Def. baton.
Having graduated from two police academies, (One civilian 300 hour BPST academy with the Mult Co. Sheriff's Office in Portland, Ore. March of 1974 and One Federal US Army Military Police Academy Dec. 1974 Fort Gordon, Ga). I learned to document for legal purposes through written documentation, photographs, taking statements.
During my 12 years in law enforcement, I was constantly called upon to search and at times assist in rescue operations for missing persons.
1986 After the OES accident on Mt Hood, I became an active member of the Portland Mountain Rescue in 1986; I saw a need for a K9 Unit that could be used in Mtn Rescue operations. I and another member M. Christie founded the nonprofit group Oregon D.O.GS. (Dogs organized for Ground Search and Rescue).
After some political issues arose, I broke away from Oregon D.O.G.S. and founded Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs and for 14 years offered my services as a Volunteer in all aspects of SAR. K9 SAR, USAR, Water SAR, Wilderness SAR. Mountain Rescue. I also became a documented success throughout the world at finding missing persons and in 1988 started using the search dogs to assist in finding missing pets when I wasn’t busy searching for missing people.
I responded to numerous disasters, fires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorist attacks, homicides, suicides, drowning, avalanches, missing adults, missing children, and had documented one of the highest successes in the nation.
I found that with the extra searches for the pets, this increased my success at finding missing persons as I was more K9 and clue aware during my searches. At no time did anyone attack my credibility in or outside the courtroom.
Once in a while through the sheriff’s office, I would hear about another SAR Dog team badmouthing (Making false statements) against my K9 SAR teams. When we would challenge the teams that bad mouthed me, my search dog team members, and our success, I would simply say, “Please provide me, my attorney, or the police, anything to support your statements in writing. Anything that would stand up in a court of law. Anything that would show I didn’t do what I’ve said I’ve done, anything that would show I was doing anything wrong, illegal, or immoral”.
“Over the last 43 years, at no time were these individual people or other SAR Dog teams able to provide one single piece of documentation to support their statements that could stand up in any courtroom”. That speaks for itself.
I soon learned that these same people and dog groups also bad mouthed other SAR dog teams. It was mostly out of jealousy of our success.
In 1989 and in 1990, Klamath Co. Sheriff's refusal to use search dogs in my professional opinion cost Nathan Madsen and Derrick Englebretson their lives.
In both of these cases, my search dog teams were later brought in privately on behalf of these two missing children and we helped their families obtain closure in each of these cases. Both of these children possibly could have been saved if the Sheriff’s office had brought in our search dogs teams in their initial search efforts. Our team efforts located where the victim’s were, what really happened to them, and how they died. Both were found in the original search areas. Both within two miles from where they were last seen.
When I tried to get the Oregon State Sheriff's Association (OSSA) to bring their SAR standards out of the 1974 “Get up on the horse and ride” era into the 1996 “Let’s use all SAR resources properly” era, I was told by the President of the OSSA, "If you don't testify against us (OSSA) you will be used, If you do testify against us (OSSA) I'll see that you will never be used again in Oregon"
With the assistance of Mary Alice Ford, I developed House Bill 3093 which brought forth the issues of Oregon's sheriff's not properly using SAR dogs and other SAR resources such as man trackers, horse posse, containment, FLIR, etc. In the hearing ran by Senator Larry Sowa, I testified against the OSSA. My house Bill was supported by the Oregon State Police, the Oregon Fire Fighters Association, and the Oregon Mountain Rescue Council. Out of this many positive changes came from everyone’s testimony. I told the truth and sleep well at night knowing I did what was right. The Oregon State Police still use my services today.
After this, the OSSA put pressure on the Oregon Dept of Justice to investigate me. The ODJ conducted an extensive 3 year audit on my finances, search and rescue training, testing, and all of our documentation and finds. Of course the local media made me look like a criminal. Yet once I was found NOT GUILTY of any crime or civil action, the local media did nothing to inform the public of the NOT GUILTY findings.
In a statement made to me by their investigator I was told, “In all her years of performing audits and investigations, she had never seen anyone as well documented and prepared as I was”.
The Oregon DOJ found me “NOT GUILTY of any civil or criminal action”. In fact on their recommendation, I turned the M.W.S.D. nonprofit team into a For profit contracting company now called International K9 Search and Rescue Services.
I went from receiving 125 calls a year to now averaging over 600 SAR call request per year.
We still get bad mouthed by numerous SAR teams, sheriff’s offices because we’ve responded privately within their jurisdictions on behalf of the victim’s family and located the missing person within their jurisdictions, making the local SAR units and law enforcement look bad. My response is ,”they made themselves look bad. We just did our job”.
I’ve testified on numerous cases around the world on kidnappings, murders, wrongful death cases. Scent, scent evidence, search dogs, and cold weather and wilderness death investigations.
I’m considered an expert in all aspects of Search and Rescue. K9 SAR, SAR Dog Training, testing, and documented SAR Cases. SAR Coordination, disaster work, missing adults, missing children and yes, even missing lost and stolen pets.
With over 10,900 documented SAR call requests from around the world, that I’ve received since 1986, I’ve been kept a very busy person and have documented the most successes at finding the missing. Until the day I die or retire, I will continue to help others in their time of need using my expertise.
Credibiity.
In August, 2002 the FBI in Portland, Oregon made me the most credible dog handler in the USA when they dug up Ashley Ponds remains from under the cement slab and recovered Miranda Gaddis remains from a cardboard box in a shed behind Ward’s house in Oregon City, Ore.
This after they and the State of Oregon Certified SAR Dog teams and ground teams searched Ward Weaver’s property 7 times and the FBI and Oregon City PD publically stated, “There’s no bodies on Ward’s property”.
They even went as far as posting a public billboard asking for the public’s help in locating Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis.
My report dated 03-20-2002 showed Nationally on the TV Show MSNBC Dateline story “Into Thin Air” Story of the search for Miranda Gaddis and Ashley Pond. Showed that the FBI failed to find any clues as to the location of the two missing girls. That my report dated 03-20-2002, showed that both my search dog Valorie and Michelle Keating’s SAR dog Yogi both located the location of the both of the missing girls remains. Five months later when the FBI recovered both of the girls remains exactly where I told them they were back in march 2002. Now whose credibility is on the line? Not mine. I was 100% accurate.
08-29-2013 I was contacted by Susan Nielson (Mother) Oly Wa. tahomawindsong@yahoo.com er her missing son Jan Benedict Nielson . At 1640 hrs IK9SARS team of Harry Oakes with his two search dogs Willow And Tyler located the human remains of Jan Benedict Nielson. His remains were located by my search dogs 100 yards in the brush off hwy 99 Se near 92 nd court Lewis co sheriffs dept responded To assist in the investigation.
12-24-2013 I was contacted by Ms. Elyse Gierlich O.C 97045. elysegierlich@msn.com regarding her missing newphew Adrien Chase 35 yo wma DLS: Evening of 12-05-2013. My search dogs tracked his scent into the Willamette River where they were later recovered by the police.
Last year 2014, when the Peterson’s son Kyle came up missing 02-28-2014, it was my search dog team the Peterson family turned to and I was able to determined that after their son Kyle was involved in a motor vehicle accident, he entered the Sandy River and drowned. For six long months they search for his remains only to find my search dogs and I were 100% accurate in our track. This after all the other local SAR teams failed to produce any answers to their son’s disappearance. Kyles remains were finally recovered down river 6 months later.
Other References: This young lady hired us to search for her missing boyfriend on New years eve. We tracked his scent from the point last seen in 10 degree weather during a major ice storm to where we determined he was dead in the upper pool area of Multnoma Falls, Ore. This after the local sheriff’s office, search dogs and sar teams failed to find any sign of him. After our search, the sheriff’s office ignored our findings until finally 6 months later they recovered his body. This email from his fiancée. From: Elaine tinydream@gmail.com To: Harry Oakes sardogk91@aol.com Sent: Thu, Jul 4, 2013 6:41 pm Subject: Re: H I wanted to email you to say that Paul Disbury was found over the weekend in the top pool at Multnomah Falls. He jumped from the top of the waterfall. I believe it took them searching it 3 times to find him, I don't understand why. But your search dogs were 100% right, he was there the whole time. I felt he was lodged under the boulder, and I'm guessing that's where he was but I don't have any other information yet.
if it weren't for your team and the dogs, I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night. Even though it took the police six months to recover Paul, in the exact place that he eluded to being and your dogs later located him, I still wanted to believe it was possible he was alive. I am relieved he's found and I can't thank you enough for all that you did to find him and for talking me through this process. As I can afford it, I will be donating in memory of Paul to your efforts so another person can benefit from the peace that comes just from knowing instead of spending countless hours in total agony like I did until you found him. I want to help someone else find that peace. I know Paul has found it, too, wherever he is now. Ellie
When Daphne C. Alexander Christ, 46 disappeared from Vancouver, Washington, a friend of hers hired my services and we tracked her scent into the Columbia River where her remains were later recovered. Again we were able to determine where her remains were when other local sar teams failed to find her.
04-05-2014 When Alvin Lee Paterson DLS 03-30-2014.disappeared, his family brought my search dog teams in and we tracked his scent trail to the Columbia River. He was later recovered down river.
Since 1986, I've performed 465 Consulting cases re: the missing person calls. I've documented through State, City, Federal Law Enforcement agencies as well as various US Government agencies. Total Finds and Assist Finds Humans 863. All these cases are documented. Case # assigned. Date, times, locations, names, places, agencies and have been reviewed by the Dept of justice, local law enforcement and other agencies and has been authenticated. Finding just one person alive or dead gives a search dog handler credibility.
Total Finds Pets 3,373.
www.k9sardog.com
SAR Stats Harry Oakes
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Harry E. Oakes Jr. SAR Coordinator International K9 Search and Rescue Services.
Mr. Oakes has written Four books.
Children’s Coloring Book Called Help Us Find You. This can be downloaded and is available for free at http://www.k9sardog.com/color_book.html this teaches children and their parents what to do if they become lost, how to stay alive, how to find safe help, and help us find them alive. It’s saved 16 lives to date that we know of.
A Call to Duty about Search Dog Ranger, his SAR activities around the world through his eyes.
Forensic Scent Evidence. A description on how to use search dogs to locate scent evidence at crime scenes.
Search and Rescue. Harry’s Ebook on CD format about all aspects of his work over the last 43 years. How to train yourself, your dog for all aspects of K9 SAR. Hundred’s of Harry’s cases he’s worked to review and learn from. All of these books are available at http://www.k9sardog.com/index.htm
My credibility is 100% above reproach.
www.k9sardog.com
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Here's a one sided attack against Mr. Oakes from Salem PD trying to cover his own ass. Ask the child's mother for the truth. She witnessed our searchdogs working and locating her son's remains.
When the victim's mother went to the Stateman Journal and told the truth, they covered it up. The mother witnessed my search, me telling her where her son's remains were. The detective bringing in Oregon State Cert. SAR dogs who said there was NOTHING THERE In the pond. She also witness her son's remains floating to the surface 3 'inches from my search flagging where I said he was.
Also ask Janna Russell, Harry Oakes's support team member who was present with her search dog.
And ask pull the 911 tapes that show I called 911, flagged the location and the victim's remains surfaced 3 inches from my flagging after this detective told the victim's mother that, "I wasn't telling the truth". Ask Polk County Sheriff's office how many documented finds I have with their agency. Yamhill County, Skamania County and Clark County.
I have a saying "Put up or shut up".
To: Salem PD Detective
I have a saying "Put up or shut up".
To: Salem PD Detective
From Mr. Oakes, as a former police officer of 12 years, you are a disgrace to the badge when you lie, and I will tell you right here you are a liar.
from harry oakes.
Here's the one sided report
Salem detective disputes Oakes' version of search
Longview search dog owner Harry Oakes is taking credit for finding the body of a missing Salem teenager. The Salem Police Department tells a different story.
Oakes, who moved his unusual for-profit search-and-rescue business to Longview last year, did participate in the June search for Scott Spansel Jr, a missing 15-year-old, as he claimed in a letter to the editor published Wednesday in the Daily News.
"Our search dogs were the first and only dogs to locate Scott's remains," Oakes wrote, attributing the statement to friends of the victim's family.
Salem police department Det. Jake Burke said Oakes didn't exactly find the body.
"It was an unfortunate citizen who was walking in the area that found the body," Burke said Thursday.
Oakes owns International K-9 Search and Rescue Services, using his dog Valorie. He was formerly with Portland-based Mountain Wilderness, but was fired after an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice found that he was using that organization's tax-exempt status to avoid paying taxes.
As part of an "assurance of voluntary compliance" to which he agreed, Oakes was barred from holding himself out to the public or law enforcement as a charity or representing his professional locating services as a public service.
Burke said Oakes' actions in Salem did not appear to violate that provision because Oakes was providing his services, usually billed at $200 an hour, for free.
Still, Burke said, Oakes' efforts did not help the investigation and may have hindered it. Burke said he had not heard of Oakes prior to the Spansel case, but when he volunteered his services Burke was happy to have the additional help and asked him to show up the next day with other dog teams.
Instead, Oakes showed up that evening and conducted his own search.
"He went behind my back and went out and did this," Burke said.
Oakes, as he wrote in his letter, called 911 to report that his search dogs had "alerted" on a large pond at the park. That pond already was the focus of the search, Burke said, as Spansel's friends had reported him walking into the pond, but not coming out. His glasses and clothing items already had been found in or around the pond.
Burke said Oakes also interviewed witnesses to Spansel's disappearance, which interfered with and could have hindered the police investigation, because police, at that point, didn't know whether they were dealing with a homicide, a missing person or a runaway.
"I told him that if he interfered with the investigation, he'd be arrested," Burke said.
Two people who allegedly provided Spansel with alcohol that day were charged in July with furnishing liquor to a minor in connection with the death.
Oakes was unavailable for comment Thursday.
Search-and-rescue professionals, including those in Longview and in Oregon, have in the past clashed with Oakes, calling his efforts self-serving and his dog's training questionable.
Oakes, in turn, has complained the search-and-rescue establishment has conspired against him and resents his claimed successes.
In his letter to the editor, Oakes said "state-certified" dog teams were unable to find Spansel's remains. Burke disputed that, and said he was troubled by Oakes' unwillingness to work with law enforcement as dog teams from Polk and Yamhill counties did.
"The other dog handlers worked through me, they did everything they could to try to find (Spansel,)" Burke said.
Cowlitz County search-and-rescue leaders said they are uninterested in having Oakes work with them, and Burke said he now feels the same way.
"I won't use him again," he said. "I didn't use him this time."
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