IN MEMORIAM


Thomas Pomeroy

Canine Search Specialist

Thomas Pomeroy is a Retired California State Police Officer with 30 years of service. He joined the Institute for Canine Forensics in May 2007 and is currently training his Border Collie for Historical Human Remains Detection. Thomas holds an Associate of Arts degree in Police Science. Thomas was a police dog handler from 1987 to 1999

Professional Memberships and Affiliations:

  • Board of Directors, Santa Clara County Peace Officers Association
  • International Police Officers Association Regan 37
  • Canine Specialized Search Team, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office (CSST)
  • Institute for Canine Forensics (ICF)

Search & Rescue/Emergency Management, Forensic investigation Courses and Certifications:

  • Incident Command System 100, 200, 700
  • California Community Colleges Limited Service Teaching Credential in Police Science
  • Field Evidence Technician
  • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-The-Trainer
  • Neighborhood Emergency Response Team Training
  • Intermediate Disaster Response Training
  • Intro to Cave and Confined Space Rescue
  • Rough Terrain Rescue
  • Rappelling and Rope Rescue Review/Live-Fire Entry
  • Low Angle Rescue
  • Disaster Response Training
  • Hazardous Materials for First Responders
  • Human Remains Detection Worksho


Cholla

Human Remains Detection Specialist

Breed: Border Collie

Date of Birth: July 9, 1993 - September 26, 2009

Handlers: Joseph Kral and Adela Morris


Cholla held several certifications with both Joseph and Adela, and worked until she was twelve years old. In 1995 while working with Adela, Cholla alerted on graves from 1906. At that time we had no idea dogs could locate historic burials. This started our quest to develop the historic HRD dog. Her long career included over four hundred searches and several finds.

Friends will remember her as the one that would come at you full speed to do her jump alert, many times she would go for the closest person or would tell several people that she had found something.
Cholla aka Pocket Rocket...




Tali

Human Remains Detection Specialist

Breed: Border Collie

Date of Birth: July 15, 2000

Handler: John Grebenkemper

Certifications:

  • 04/2008 - Certified in Historical Human Remains Detection by Institute for Canine Forensics

Canine Accomplishments:

Tali is one of a handful of dogs in the world that is being trained exclusively for Historical Human Remains Detection


Tali died at 4:50 pm on Friday. In the late afternoon, she found a bush in the backyard and crawled under it. I found her a little later and she was unable to move. I held her head while she lost consciousness and died. Her passing was peaceful, and probably about as good an outcome as could be expected. She got to work on her favorite job finding old bones on Thursday, and had a peaceful death on Friday.

Thanks to everyone who expressed their concerns about her condition.
-John


I'm so glad you enjoyed the column about Murpheee and Tali! I only met Tali and John briefly, but was so touched by their story, that I kept writing about them!! Here's a link to the story online: www.allforanimals.com/columns/armsofangels.html (I changed the title to In the Arms of the Angels -- seemed to fit better with the story.) Warmly, Karen

Karen Lee Stevens - October 7, 2008




Lucy

Classification: Cadaver, Type I Disaster Search Canine

Breed: Border Collie

Date of Birth: January 5, 1991

Handler: Lynne Engelbert

Certifications:

  • 1993 - certified as FEMA & CA OES disaster search dog since 1993 Continuously re-cert until retiring 7/04
  • 1999 - Mission Ready Cadaver certified with Ca Office of Emergency Services (OES), re-certified every year
  • FEMA Certified: Type I, 1993 – 2004
  • CA OES Certified: Human Remains Detection 1999

Canine Accomplishments:
Lucy was the first Border Collie and one of the first 25 dogs in the country to certify in Disaster with the FEMA & CA OES disaster search dog program

Notable Searches:
2003 - Shuttle Columbia Recovery, TX
2001 - World Trade Center after Sept. 11 (located numerous remains)
2001 - Xiana Fairchild Search (Santa Clara Co. SO) Curtis Anderson was convicted with life in prison for the kidnapping of another child
2000 - Wang Search (Lucy located deceased subject)
2000 - Dullea Search (Lucy located deceased subject)
1999 - Bonilla Landfill Search - San Jose, CA (Lucy located deceased subject, result: conviction of murderer, third strike)
1995 - Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Explosion, Oklahoma City


Those who knew Lucy remember a dog that loved disaster search more than anything. Her second love was HRD work, and she excelled in both. She worked the OKC bombing, the WTC after 9-11, the Shuttle Columbia Recovery and numerous HRD searches, finding two murder victims and one drowning victim. She helped put one bad guy away forever.

Lucy had no "off" button and was hard to live with... I can imagine the ruckus she is causing on the Rainbow Bridge. I loved my search partner dearly and her death has left a huge hole in my heart. I miss you girl!
Lynne Engelbert



Riley

Breed: Border Collie x Doberman

Date of birth: October 3, 1999

Handler: Lynne Angeloro

Certifications:

  • First certified in cadaver by the Office of Emergency Services in December 2000
  • 11/2004 - Certified in Historical Human Remains Detection by Institute for Canine Forensics - re-certified every year

Canine Accomplishments:
Riley has been training in water cadaver and is almost finished with her requirements. She has extensive training in historical human remains detection.

Notable Searches:
2004 Donner Party Campsite (1846)
2004 Boca Historical cemetery (1860 - 1920) locating unmarked graves
2003 Nevada, Pershing Co. confirmed location of body buried in a mineshaft for 2 years
2003 Santa Clara University locating boundaries of mission cemetery
2003 Columbia Shuttle Disaster
2003 San Mateo Co. Poor Farm Project mapping 600 unmarked graves
2001 Xiana Fairchild, numerous searches. Curtis Anderson was convicted with life in prison for the kidnapping of another child



Emma

Human Remains Detection Specialist

Breed: Australian Shepherd Mix

Date of birth:

Handler: David Halverstadt

Certifications:

Certified in Historical Human Remains Detection by Institute for Canine Forensics