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K. Melissa Garvin, Dog Handler
SARS Search and Rescue TeamFEMA Citation: Service during 2004 Hurricanes, Florida
Melissa is one of our Bloodhound Handlers and handles search emergencies on the team.  She responded to all of the search call-outs in 2007 and was instrumental in the EBT/SARS merger of 2007.  She is also our squad photographer providing material for this website and the PR committee.  Melissa usually handles Nancy Drew, but is qualified and experienced with all three of the Garvin Bloodhounds.  
 
When Atalanta came to the Garvin household in 1998, Melissa had the idea that "What if Mike breaks his leg and can't do the search with the Police?" and that, "perhaps I should know what to do, just in case."  She traveled to the next seminar with Boz to "learn what to do" and came home with Emma Peale.  The rest is history.
 
She is a Bloodhound Instructor and works with the other handlers in the team getting them, and their dogs ready for service, and maintains the search-readiness of the team and its dogs with different challenges each week.