Rescue dog team holding wine fundraiser

Wrangell’s search-and-rescue (SAR) dog program will be holding its second wine-tasting fundraiser on Friday.

A component of Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, SAR dogs are primarily used to assist in searches for missing persons, whether becoming lost while in the wilderness or following a disaster. Dog handler Steve Prysunka explained the dogs are trained both to search for living subjects and to detect for human remains.

The latest iteration of the program has been up and operating since 2014, supporting various emergency responses since. Since last year’s fundraiser the program has added a new member, bringing the count for the canine team to four. Their names are Katilli, Sage, Aspen and Moscow.

“Moscow’s our newest addition,” said Prysunka. Unlike the other three retrievers, this dog is of the Belgian Malinois breed, originally used for herding. “He speaks French.”

The dogs are all privately owned, receiving regular training with their handlers as well as training together on a weekly basis. Each trainer is responsible for a good deal of the cost for maintaining and certifying their animal.

Equipping a dog with its harness and other emergency gear can cost around $1,000 per animal, but a major cost is for traveling to various training sessions and workshops. For instance, Wrangell’s four SAR dogs went to Sitka over the weekend to train cooperatively with the Sitka Fire Department’s search dogs and with Juneau’s SEADOGS team. There, they focused on being able to detect human remains on land and in the water.

“The fire department supports us each year with funds for equipment for help and training,” Prysunka said. Other support comes through private organizations like the Stikine Sportsmen Association, or through individual fundraising efforts.

One of the latter, the group will hold a wine-tasting at Rayme’s tomorrow similar to one it held last year in April. At that event, about 60 people raised $1,400 for the group.

“We’re very excited about the event,” said Prysunka. Set for Friday at 6 p.m., the event will also give supporters the opportunity to meet the different SAR dogs.