Janet Yatchak started training canines for the show ring and obedience competitions in the early 1970s, and then had the opportunity to transfer that love to SAR canines in the late 1990s. She has trained, handled and certified 5 canines (3 different breeds) to multiple national SAR and LE certifications, and is starting her 6th.

Janet has been a member of NASAR (National Association of Search and Rescue) since 1998, the SAR Canine Section Chair 2005-2007, NASAR Conference SAR Canine Track Lead 2008, 2009 and 2010, and a SAR Canine Committee member from 2005 – 2011. Janet has been a Canine Lead Evaluator for NASAR (Area, Trailing, HRD-Land, HRD-Water, Disaster, Disaster-HRD and Avalanche) since 2004, and has conducted canine tests in 19 different states, including Alaska and Hawaii. She is also a NASAR SARTECH II Lead Evaluator and has conducted tests in many of the same states she conducted the canine tests. Janet has certified 4 different canines to NASAR certifications and was recently awarded the NASAR Evaluator/Instructor of the Year for 2016.

In 2007, Janet became a member of the SWGDOG (Scientific Working Group on Dog & Orthogonal detector Guidelines) international committee, where she worked on the avalanche, trailing, disaster and HRD sub-committee guidelines.

Prior to moving to Idaho in November 2015, Janet was a member of Northwest Montana Incident Management Team (All Hazards Type III), Flathead County Critical Stress Team, Blankenship Fire, and is still a member of the international response team, 1-Special Response Group.
On the law enforcement side, Janet has certified to both IPWDA and NAPWDA certifications.
In the special awards and recognitions area, Janet was awarded the Flathead County Sheriff’s Commendation Award, November 2004, for her work in developing and promoting ‘Powder Hounds’, an educational snow preventive search and rescue program for kids and canines, that was held at Big Mountain Ski area, Whitefish, MT. She worked with thousands of kids and parents over the few years it was offered.
In October 2007, Janet and canine Panzer were awarded Flathead County’s Life Saving Award for their part in the search, find, and rescuing of a missing woman, in early spring 2007. And in May 2008, Panzer was awarded NASARS’s SAR Canine of the Year, for his search and find of the missing woman.
Janet has provided canine SAR mission support to seven different states, including Kauai’ Hawaii.
Janet is a member Southeastern Idaho Public Health Medical Reserve Corp as well as the Snake River Search team in Idaho Falls. She is currently working 2 canines:
*Neo (GSD), her current operational canine, certified with NASAR in Trailing Type IV, HRD Land Type III, Disaster HR Forensics Type I, and HRD Water Type I.
*Wizard (BC), training for HR, Disaster and Trailing
*Keela (GSD), retired, was certified with NASAR, IPWDA, and NAPWDA .