Xavier
Dog: Xavier, 6-year-old German shepherd
Handler: Cathy DeJong
Xavier is certified in Basic Area and Advanced Area Search and Rescue and has the Canine Good Citizen and Obedient Dog Achievement Awards.
He takes part in searches of both live finds and cadaver finds. He also does article searches and because of his love of water, he is currently training in water rescue. He is the alpha of Cathy’s three dogs. He enjoys carrying things around the house, romping with the 2 other dogs, one being his brother Max, watching the cat, playing with the hose, and most of all with his tennis balls. He is very loving and wants constant attention.
Xavier’s handler, Cathy, is a charter member of the Sangamon County Search and Rescue K9 Team with the acquisition of Marco, both Xavier and Max’s father, in 1996. She has been training both Xavier and Max since they were 8 weeks old and is also one of Marco’s handlers.