Shawn and Chinook head to Canada

5/10/06

The RATS search dog team are four paws and two feet less this week after Shawn Rothwell and his dog Chinook left NZ for Canada.

Shawn joined the team in 2003 when he moved here from Banff in the Canadian Rockies where he had worked in the ski industry. 

He was very keen to train a search dog and came along for a while without getting a dog, and when was ready, helped by Brenda,  found Chinook in the CHCH Dog Shelter. 

Chinook is an awesome wee search dog, achieving operational Status in Wilderness search in 2005 and they were working hard towards USAR certification when Shawn decided to return home, where we are confident Chinook will easily change disciplines to Avalanche work and where she will get to go to work with Shawn every day -  we are sure that will suit both of them just fine. 

We look forward to hearing about their progress.