WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers ON THE TRAIL—Fausto, a 7-year-old bloodhound, demonstrates his training by following a scent, with owner and trainer Bob Massey close behind last Friday at Tierra Rejada Park. Massey is a volunteer with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue K-9 unit. Every time Dino finds the scent of human remains, he sits, looks up and wags his tail in anticipation of a treat from his handler, Mike Grossman.

This is called a "sit alert," said Grossman, a Moorpark resident. Soon the edible rewards for a successful find will be replaced with a toy and a few games of tug of war.

Grossman and his 4monthold Labrador retriever are the newest members of the Ventura County Sheriff 's Department Search and Rescue K-9 Unit.

Grossman is training Dino to locate human remains and notify his human friend when suspicious scents are discovered. The puppy is doing quite well, having found all three human bone fragments hidden by Grossman at the base of tree trunks during a recent demo training session at Tierra Rejada Park.

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers JOB WELL DONE—Moorpark resident Mike Grossman rewards his dog Dino after a short training session last Friday afternoon at Tierra Rejada Park. Grossman is a volunteer with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue K9 unit and is training Dino, a 4month-old Labrador, to track and locate persons and human remains. Members of the sheriff 's Search and Rescue K-9 Units are on call 24/7.

"We handle a variety of different types of searches. Our dogs can be trained in area search, human remains detection and trailing," Grossman said.

The team of 12 volunteers works with bloodhounds, Labradors and German shepherds. Each breed is best suited for certain tasks in helping authorities resolve a variety of investigations and emergencies.

The Search and Rescue K-9 Unit is headed by Ann Anderson of Santa Rosa Valley. "Ann is a mother, first and foremost; a lawyer; a reserve police officer with Santa Paula P.D.; and a K9 handler serving different agencies throughout the U.S.," said Grossman. Her husband, Robert, also has been on the K-9 team for about six years. The couple has three dogs on the team, a tracking bloodhound named Casey, and two cadaver dogs, Jack and Ivan.

"It's a good way to help the community," said Ann Anderson.

Members dedicate a minimum of 40 hours per month to the team, training and caring for the dogs and serving law enforcement when called.

Anderson said her husband understands the commitment since he's also on the team. "He doesn't complain about all the times I put in the search and rescue team because he's also part of it."

Since the K9 unit is allvolunteer, expenses are very high, she said. Mileage, training, dog supplies and veterinarian care add up to anywhere between $10,000, and $20,000.

Anderson recently spent $1,400 for a surgery needed by 2-year-old Jack. The dog is one of very few certified cadaver dogs in the county, which makes him very valuable, she said. "We want to try to raise money to buy pet insurance for the dogs," Anderson said.

Dogs from the local team searched for possible victims at a mobile home park after the Sylmar fire last month, and they found the body of Megan Barroso, a Moorpark woman who was raped and killed by a Simi man in 2001.

A canine's sense of smell is 100,000 to 1 million times stronger than a human's, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's K-9 Unit website.

"The Search and Rescue K-9 Unit is all volunteer, and we get no funding," said Grossman. The Ventura County unit is one of the best teams in California, he said.

Handlers purchase their own dogs and spend a great deal of time working with the canines to prepare them for their jobs.

To learn more about the search and rescue K-9 unit or to donate funds to the nonprofit group, visit vcsark9.org.

"All donated money and sponsorships go back to the unit," Grossman said.

The sheriff's department also has seven deputies who work full time with their German shepherds to help when the safety of officers or the public is at risk.

Their dogs are also trained to detect narcotics, and they help in probation searches.

That K-9 group is separate from the search and rescue unit because it's manned by deputies, but it also relies on donations to help pay for the care of the dogs and related supplies.