Cindy, a professional dog training since 1977, holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Arizona. She began her SAR career in 2000 as a dog handler with Yavapai County Sheriff’s Response Team Search Dog Unit, where she held the offices of Canine Elevator, Training Coordinator and eventually Strike Team Leader. In 2005 her two eldest dogs, Nitro and Levi, jointly received the Association of Pet Dog Trainers’ SAR Dog of the Year award. Since 2006 she has been a certified Wilderness First Responder, and in 2007 she was inducted into the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Search and Management Unit.

In 2008 she earned her NASAR SARTECH II Certification and currently holds SARTECH II Evaluator status. In 2009 Cindy and her youngest dog, Inspector Gadget, were the recipients of NASAR’s Peter A. Chaney Canine Handler Scholarship. In late 2009 she moved to Flagstaff, AZ and joined the Coconio County Sheriff’s SAR Canine Unit. She is currently a K9 handler and has held the positions of K9 Team Leader and K9 Evaluator. In 2011 she also became a member of K-9 Search & Rescue, Inc in Dolores, Colorado and their AZ Division Supervisor. In 2012 she was awarded Member of the Year by Coconino County Sheriff’s Sar. Her dog Nitro was posthumously awarded the NASAR 2012 K9 of the Year.

She currently owns and Stretch who holds NASAR Area Canine SARTECH I and HRD Land Type III certifications.  She also owns and handles MacGyver who is a HRD Specialists holding a NASAR HRD Land Tyle III certification. Cindy is a NASAR Canine SARTECH Lead Evaluator for AREA and HRD Land and an AKC CGC Evaluator.