I emailed Harry at 12:42 a.m. and he responded at 12:56 a.m, so right off the bat, I knew he meant business. His response email asked for many details, all of which were crucial to providing as much detail as possible so he could have an accurate picture of what the situation was. He called the next morning and provided an extremely long and detailed phone consultation on our very first phone call. His confidence in his knowledge and ability really brought some peace of mind and comfort in a time when I was a frantic mess. I went from thinking my dog could be anywhere in the world to realizing that he was very likely in the exact same place he had last been seen. Unfortunately that place was a MASSIVE industrial complex with thousands of hiding places. I went from sobbing in the car, too overwhelmed to move, to action-plan-oriented with concrete steps to put into motion. His method was counterintuitive to everything that came naturally. I wanted to tear that construction yard apart while calling Huxley, but he made it clear that not only was that a complete waste of energy, it would drive him deeper into hiding. I REALLY want to emphasize following Harry's instruction, even if it feels counterintuitive. I scoured the web for tips to find Huxley and nowhere did I find the information Harry provided that got our baby home. I was fully prepared to hire him and his dogs for their tracking services, but his consult alone provided me with the strategy to find Huxley. After Huxley was first spotted by a construction worker who had called my number from the flier, I had no idea what to do. My heart was pounding and I just wanted my dog back. I texted Harry and he called immediately with next steps, even sending me the Spanish translations to ask the workers to stop yelling and chasing. I truly believe that had I not contacted Mr. Oakes, we would not have our Huxley back home and safe. I can't recommend him more highly. Call him, fill out the questionnaire, trust the process. I'm glad I did. read more

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I lost my cat and Harry came out with his dogs and was able to find him within minutes!! I highly recommend! I had been searching and calling in the same area but cat only came out once the dogs found him. read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Ernie happy back at home! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

Harry's and I did a phone consult after I lost my cat. He had clear, extensive advice, and some of it led to me relocating my pet. If you have a lost pet and don't know where to start please get in touch with him. Thank you very much Harry I appreciate you. read more

I wish i could post a zero star review. I emailed this company and they replied with a laundry list of personal questions. Before handing over personal information, I replied back asking what the rates were. The reply I got back was this "If you arent going to answer my questions then i cant help you Good luck Harry". Incredibly rude and bad business. Will make sure anyone on my facebook and Next Door app will know this. Update: this is our email correspondence: Email replying to my initial email asking for help: we'll be glad to help you. Name home address city state zip code telephone name of cat age weight breed sex date last seen? id? Harry Oakes Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator. sardogk91@aol.com My reply: what are your rates? His reply: On Wednesday, March 9, 2016, Harry Oakes sardogk91@aol.com wrote: If you arent going to answer my questions then i cant help you Good luck Harry My reply: That's incredibly unfair and bad business. I asked a question about your business. You should be able to answer it with kindness. I lost my pet and I'm reaching out for help. I need to know your rates before hand. Why would I give you so much personal information before I know if I can afford you? I do not want your business based on your rude reply and will make damn sure anyone I know doesn't reach out to you. His reply: U asked for my help In order for me to answer your question i needed some basic information Your refusal to give us the information which we need to help you is on you not us We've been bringing home pets for over 30 years While I understand you are upset this in no way gives you the right to badger or bad mouth our business If you do i will see you in court You are forbidden to contact us ever again I never refused to give him information. He responded incredibly unprofessionally & aggressive read more

Our beloved hunting dog who has never left our side for more than 15 minutes went missing a few days ago. My husband and I searched our entire property assuming she was most likely eaten by coyotes or a cougar as both had been on the rural property recently. I was so upset I needed to at least recover her body and take care of the predator to protect my children and other pets. I reached out to Harry at 4am and he responded immediately. He was at my house by 8 AM. He covered our entire property with his SAR dogs. The dogs took him to an area of the property we had already searched and threw up stress signals. He stated that most likely the dog was stolen, we then found tire tracks that we had not noticed before on a driveway that we do not use. This gave us hope and after posting on Social Media and offering a reward within 5 hours we had our dog back and are currently pressing charges. We would have never thought someone would steal our dog in such a remote location but Harry was 100% correct. I think most of these bad reviews are from people expecting way too much from Harry. He is not a psychic, he does his best with what he has to work with. In our case there was a good scent trail and an undisturbed "crime scene" where the dog was loaded against her will by the thieves. As well as full cooperation and trust from us to let him do his job. This is not a lucrative business, the man is doing this because he has a passion for it. That passion had led to his many successes. People need to realize that SAR work is not a guarantee, but it is your best option when you have no other options. Thank you Harry for helping us and giving us the hope we needed to continue looking for her. You are 100% the reason we have our girl back home safe and sound. Rylie Kamp South Bend, WA read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

I hired Harry Oakes to find my missing dog. he walked around for about an hour and a half. He then said my dog got into a car near the beach and someone took her. my dog is very skittish around strangers. I just couldn't believe that. He said I was wrong and needed to go home and live my life. someone has her and that's it. I didn't listen and kept searching on my own. He even sent me another email saying that she's in a car and I need to stop looking. Thank god I didn't listen to him. I found my baby about 300 ft from where he was with his dogs. She's home safe now. And he still got my money. No way was he even close to being right read more

I lost 2 dogs that chased a bear off our property. On day 4 of missing, Harry gave me specific instructions on to who to call to report the missing dogs. It was along list and took a few hours but totally worth it. He saved me thousands of dollars by giving me advice and guidance on gathering resources to help. On day 5 my dogs were found because I made the calls I otherwise would have thought pointless. The only thing Harry asked for in return was to let me know if I found them. He followed up with emails during the search and I was grateful he had offered to help. My experience was great. read more

Our family cat had gone missing for 6 days. My wife and I combed through the house, garage, we walked door to door, put out flyers, checked shelters etc. during that period. Then it dawned on us that Harry had helped to find a friend of ours lost dog some years ago. I contacted her, she got me Harry's info, and Harry immediately responded that he was available and after a few quick exchanges he was on the way. His friendly crew of dogs got the scent and first did a thorough search throughout the house and found nothing. They picked up a faint scent outside but it led to no where. Harry explained that this was likely the dogs detecting our cats scent on our shoes because that is the way we would way, several times a day, to try and find him. That led us back to the garage. The dog that was searching the garage alerted quite strongly on my old Buick, which I had searched head to toe (e.g. hood was still open!), but the dog was sure he was there. And he was right, my missing cat was lodged/stuck way up in the wheel well. Had I moved that car, and I had intended to soon, he would have likely been crushed. It's amazing he didn't starve or die of dehydration for those 6 days. We have no idea why he didn't move or make a sound as I'm a car guy and was in and out of that garage, with it wide open, several times a day. Harry and his crew are true heroes to our family. Thanks, Harry! read more

Our cat had been missing for almost a week when we hired K9 so we were desperate to locate him, no matter the out come, to get some closure. From the time the team showed up, the trainer and his two dogs, I felt the whole process was rushed. After breifly sniffing our back yard to get a scent, the dogs lead us about a 100ft away from our home, the trailed ended. The trainer told us the dogs are telling him it ended in a death. He also asked us if we saw our cat in our dreams, when we answered yes, he said "yup, he's dead" 30 mins = $275 Fwd to that evening we got a call that some had found our cat. He was alive and well, and nowhere near where we were told. Me and my wife were very sadden beening told by an expert that our cat was dead. Thank you Silva Brown. He got paid, what does he care? read more

Miss Mina our 14 year old black cat, blind, she left out the door and within 5min we were searching for her. It was dense and frozen fog, very cold outside. The fog muffled our voices I couldn't even hear my son calling for her. She simply lost her way back. I was crying when I spoke with Harry that morning and he offered to come out but I said it is the holiday and I no $$ to offer him. He came out anyway within the hour of me calling him. That was the first time I had met him but I have known of him for about 10 years now. I send Harry posts about other missing animals in the area, or advice for owners with lost pets. So Harry is the guy to go to! I'm glad to have him as my friend. I wanted to pet the dogs, but they had a job to do, not a time for visiting and wagging tails. I was amazed at how fast they found results. We were positive that she was in the fairgrounds. But after a week of going back and forth and leaving pee trails, she never came back. We thought at that point someone had her. Yes, the lady who works at the fairgrounds, after a week Mina came out very hungry and frail and allowed someone to pick her up. She took her home and posted once but I must have missed that, until the other day sitting working and the photo popped up on my feed. Never give up hope! read more

Our dog went missing around 6 pm on a Saturday night. Harry was recommended to us and we called him around 9 pm, and he agreed to come right out with his dogs to help us search, even though he was about an hour away. He arrived asap and got right to work. No nonsense, no time wasted. His dogs picked right up on my dog's smell and were ultimately able to find him deep in the woods behind my house (he'd fallen down a ravine type thing and couldn't get out). Without Harry and his dogs, we would never have found our baby, because you could barely see him, even two feet away because of the thick underbrush and he wasn't making any noise (fear of predators?). It was his dog that found him through smell and I can't thank him enough for his hard work and dedication to finding our boy! read more

Harry Oakes is a scam. Lost your cat? He will bring his dogs and lead you on a search down a sidewalk. Oh weird, cats don't walk along a linear paths - they cut through yards and have their own behavior. What does that mean? Someone walked him/her to an apartment building, where the dogs lose scent (and conveniently the hour is up), and bam, your cat has been stolen. This guy is a fraud, I'm reporting him to police and media, he took my money and will continue to take vulnerable people's money. Do not trust him. read more

****nothing I said was a lie! What I said was factual and honest! This search took place on 7/8/14. I was thankful for your help but my review simply states facts. I've attached the emails within this review. The search took place in Willamina, OR. read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

My partner and I called Harry and his crew out to Hillsboro today to help us find our missing cat. He was very knowledgable and professional, and has years of experience with searching for missing beings. While unfortunately we were unable to find our cat, we did obtain some very valuable information about what could have possibly happened to her and what some next steps are in order to help lead her back home. His price was very reasonable and he was honest with us throughout the search on what his thoughts were. We would definitely recommend his services. read more

I know of two people who were either able to find their pet or get closure because they hired these services. The rates are fair and reasonable and everything is above board. I heartedly recommend this SARS team. read more

Harry put a post on my FB page regarding my missing cat. I was sure she had been taken by a predator, but I needed to know. I wasn't expecting much of the search other than maybe having closure and finding out bad news. Harry came that same day, within 30 minutes. His dogs were AMAZING, took my kitties scent and let us right to her last known sighting. The dogs went crazy in a couple spots (under a deck and in our neighbors garage) and the dogs were indicating that my kitty was still alive. We did not find her when Harry was at our house, but we knew were to continue searching (I didn't expect her to come right out with two dogs sniffing for her) and more importantly, HOPE that she was alive. Within 15 minutes of Harry and his dogs leaving, we spotted her in the window of the neighbors garage! As we were calling for her under their deck we heard her meowing. Our best guess is she was under the deck all night then ran into the garage in the morning when the neighbor opened the door. The dogs were SPOT on with both locations! I would recommend Harry in a heartbeat for Search & Rescue Services. read more

You'll want to read my "not currently recommended" Yelp review before hiring Harry. Or go to the webpage I created about him: google "harry oakes epic fail". I do NOT recommend hiring him! I don't know why Yelp suppressed my review. I'm a real person, my full name and contact info is on the webpage. Ive lived in Portland since 1983, and have several websites about my local businesses. I even posted a scan of my contract with Harry, to prove that I hired him. If you read this, please click the "useful" button, maybe that will help. A few more points: Why would a cat hoarder kidnap someone else's pet, when both individuals and animal shelters are so eager to give away pets for free? And wouldn't someone eventually dream about their lost pet, no matter what? What he says doesn't make sense. UPDATE 12/27/17: Harry has replied to this review, here's my response: I asked for a partial refund, and told him I would publicize my experience with him if I didn't get it. He says "we filed a criminal complaint against this person with PPB for attempted extortion." According to the dictionary, extortion involves "violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority... force, torture, threat, or the like." Simply talking about what happened is not violence, and this is not extortion. Harry needlessly reports his customers to the police. Does that sound like someone you want to do business with? read more

I recently lost my dog and had this service recommend to. Once I contacted them via email, I got a very quick response. The ideas to use in my search effort were invaluable. They included things I had done, and numerous things I hadn't thought of or found anywhere else. It also clearly explained the capabilities what their search effort could do. My dog was found before we got any further. But if your pet runs away or is lost I highly recommend the services they provide. read more

In response to the false accusation my review was a lie... Two days after Mr. Oaks said my dog had been taken 2 miles away by a bobcat and killed, Peanut was caught in a trap provided by the humane society right next to my home. Unfortunately when we went to retrieve her from the trap she escaped again and we never found her after that. We did not catch her and keep her. And to clarify, Peanut was a PAINFULLY timid 25 lb dachshund (a rescue who was previously abused) who was unfamiliar with her surroundings. I can guarantee she did not come down from the hillside, cross a busy HWY, travel two miles down the road, then turn around and come back to a property she didn't know. Let alone survive it. She would not leave the couch without help. I lived next to an area with heavy brush. She was always next to the home hiding. She was never far. That is why I was so upset that Mr. Oaks couldn't even track her when she was on the property. I am still friends with the owner of the dog. She was sad but never angry and she knew this whole story. It was all very sad. I never lied or slandered Mr. Oaks or his business. I also never said he didn't find lost pets. What I said was exactly what happened. That is what you risk when you do not provide 100% service but still collect the fees. The readers can come to their own conclusion. read more

Harry is the real deal! We live in a rural location in the middle of the woods. Our daughter had our golden retriever on a leash and it slipped out of her hand when our dog chased another dog off the property. Our dog has never ran away before. Within 5 minutes we were in the car and searching with no signs of her in the area. Our concern was that she still had a leash attached to her and were extremely worried she may be caught up in brush or the woods and be at a disadvantage if faced with a cougar. After several hours of searching the woods around our house we began to discuss alternative options. We determined prior to contacting Harry that whatever information he was able to provide would give us peace of mind. Once I had reached out to Harry, he was in touch within just a few hours. I didn't think he would make the drive to us, but after discussing our story he was willing to drive three hours to us! (I might add, we felt his rates were very appropriate.) He sent us an email that included what he was able to do with his tracking dogs, recommendations, stories, as well as other options we could pursue. At no time did I ever feel uncomfortable with the information provided or his services. He kept in regular contact on his drive to our house as well. Upon arrival he again explained what his dogs would do. They followed her scent up the road about a half mile from our house. Her scent never traveled into the woods; we were relieved to say the least. With the information he had found it was determined that she was most likely picked up. Given this news, we immediately went into action. Had we not had his validation in what we thought had happened we wouldn't have taken the additional steps to get our dog back. To wrap up this long review, our dog was 100% stolen. This story has a happy ending! Our dog was returned to us within 2 days, someone dropped her at the bottom of our property, she came running into the house and had clearly been bathed and combed. We are forever grateful to Harry and his dogs for their services; again, we attribute getting our dog back to Harry! Thank you from our family! Additionally, our family and friends really enjoyed the time that Harry spent sharing his incredible expertise and stories! read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

I would encourage folks to read the previous reviews for this service, as well as the response to the concerns voiced in those reviews. I am a member of a family that contracted for the SAR services. This gentleman and his dogs initiated a search, found a scent of the lost dog and then determined that the scent was gone, our lost dog must have been picked up by a vehicle. A few days later the lost dog was found wandering on a road close to the location where she was lost, not near the location that the search team found a scent. After careful exam from her long-term vet, she was dehydrated, malnourished and suffered injury to her paws .. all indicative of a dog without food/water and extreme physical activity not a dog that has been picked up by a lonely senior citizen. This has been our experience and it seems to fit the pattern to other reviews of International KP Search and Rescue. Caveat Emptor! read more

Wow. So I was disappointed to read all of the horrible reviews and stories about this guy, especially since I need some help and hope around my lost cat. But I figured, hey, I'll negotiate and give him a chance to prove them wrong. This person does not appear to be able to do that. Irrational, seeking conflict, seemingly without a conscience. I hope you all find your lost pets, by some other means. read more

A few years ago my cat got out and I was hysterical. He was a kitten from the city and he was lose in an urban area. I contacted Harry as I was thoroughly desperate and would have mortgaged my house or car to pay for him to come out. (I'm in Massachusetts.) He could have easily played me. He could have told me he couldn't help. He could have promised results and charged me $6k to cross the country. He didn't. Instead, he spent about an hour responding to my various frantic emails. He told me by the time he and the dogs crossed rhe county the scent would be nearly gone so he advised me on how to search. He gave me excellent statistics and said that only 5% are lost to predators. He advised me to check the trees at night to keep owls and hawks away and flash a spotlight in the tree tops periodically. He gave me several other tips as well and I'm happy to report everything he said was 100% correct. He could have demanded payment before telling me anything. He could have extorted hundreds in consultation fees. He did none of that. I find the stories below heartbreaking and I'm truly sorry for all of the lost pets, BUT, I don't think that gives pet owners the right to attack someone's integrity or claim they don't care about lost pets. I understand why, even if he's unable to locate a pet he has to charge fees. It's a service business and he has a right to collect fees after he has spent time and resources trying to to find a pet. On Veteran's day, a local retired green beret lost his service dog. It was heartbreaking and all over the news. I knew Harry couldnt come out to the east coast, but, nonetheless, I emailed him the poster and he offered to call the man and provide the same helpful advice he had given me years before. As for the people who want to know fees before providing the basic information regarding the case, that's just preposterous in this kind of business. Someone in Washington may be $275 for him and his dogs to come out and do a search, but he would be reasonable in charging $5000 to cross the country. Just like with lawyers, veterinarians, CPAs, etc., Every case is different and the varying fees reflect differences in circumstances, but you still pay even if you lose your case, your pet dies, or you face an IRS audit. I may not be able to attest to Harry's performance with his dogs, but having an advocate with experience who is willing to hear you out and help you through such a difficult time is priceless. read more

My experience was amazing. Our cat got out yesterday and we were distraught. Stayed up all night making signs and walking around calling for her. I randomly found Harry online and called without even looking up reviews. He came by a couple hours later and within 15/20 min his dogs Willow and Tyler had tracked my cat down. I was in shock and was so relieved to see my baby again....Its gotta be a hard job, because there is no guarantee that you will get the outcome you are looking for...but I am a total believer and do not doubt the intelligence of animals and a good trainer. Thank you Harry, you truly saved us. read more

My dog had been missing 12 hours I exhausted all hope posted on every forum had fliers up every where so many man hours on the ground! My husband had thought of search and rescue dogs the night before I honestly expected thousands of dollars and no results. I found Harry online and I emailed the night before he called me back on Sunday and came up 4 hours from Longview to Everett the same day. He brought 2 dogs and a bonus pug. We went to the last known location and he was very professional. The dogs did their job and we hiked up a steep incline forest hill behind a trailer park and found my lil chihuahua huddled in some brush. He was so scared he didn't want to move. I was instructed to move slowly and talk softly if he might bolt my husband went around the back and got him. The dogs sniffed him out with the guidance of Harry! I know we were so very lucky! I know not all people are! I was so relived I never want to let him go! Thanks to The dog team lead by a well trained man got the job that all the work I put in couldn't have done! I couldn't be more thrilled! read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Happy family reunion - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

My wife and I were extremely pleased with Harry's work in helping us find our two missing Golden Retrievers. We had spent over 3 days searching the woods near our property, and within about an hour, Harry and his search dog Tyler was able to determine that our girls had actually headed in a different direction over a hill to the river. I paid for an additional 45 minutes to continue the search through a nearby park, and check the highway bridge and downriver. While we didn't find the girls that night, Harry's report and recommendations helped us refocus our search in that area, and within the next 24 hours we received 2 eyewitness reports confirming our dogs were alive and directly across the river from where Tyler and Harry tracked them. Harry responded quickly to our request (same day), and he worked efficiently. I also felt he was careful not to run up the time he spent searching. I was very happy that we were able to access this service, and while it is not cheap, it was very effective for us. I would recommend Harry's services (even his phone consultation), if you are missing loved ones or pets. read more

The owner of this business has a lot of animosity towards someone who lost their beloved pets. He doesn't care about finding your pets if, in his personal opinion, you are someone who lets your dog run around off leash. Sometimes pets run off due to various reasons. It happens, but it doesn't mean that you blame the victim of such tragedy. Talking bad about someone who lost their pets is heartless, unprofessional, and certainly shows that this business doesn't care about the pets and the pet owners. Do not use their services! They will make up some stories on how your pet died and take your money. read more

International K9 Search and Rescue Services - Unprofessional attitude (warning: strong languages). - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Longview, Washington

I hired this guy last week. We started looking where a neighbor had reported seeing him. Then I got a text that he was at a homeless shelter. We got down there and immediately he said his dog picked up the scent. We walked around for a bit and did not find my dog. He came to the conclusion that a homeless guy has him. I hope he is right. I have the police out looking private parties are all bugging the homeless. I got the same dream speech. The jury is still out on this guy for now. I will update if he does pop up with homeless. read more

Harry was fantastic and provided us with the tools to find our dog. She had been missing for 3 days before we decided to use a tracking service. He was fortunately available so he came out the next day. We know our dog but he knows their behavior in these situations. Great service well worth using. He is honest and well informed. He was very concerned for our lost pet and I believe any post that says otherwise is mistaken. read more

I am writing this review in response to a number of less than positive reviews made by people on Yelp. Claims have been made that Harry Oakes takes advantage of people, is a scammer and a fraud. Nothing can be further from the truth! My experience with International K9 Search and Rescue spans the last several years. Mr. Oakes has assisted me on numerous occasions in finding friends lost pets. His methods are sound and successful. He has never once given me bad advice. To date, all of the pets that I have requested assistance for were located alive! Including my own dog! Harry has "GIVEN" me invaluable assistance in training my dog. I know for a fact that he donates a great deal of his time and expertise to help others. I am one of those people. I have used his methods successfully! There is a process to Search and Rescue. The results are not guaranteed. Ever! Mr. Oakes needs specific information unique to each client he serves. Without it, chances of success are diminished. There have been certain negative claims against Mr. Oakes made by a person on Yelp who lists herself as a certified dog trainer. Upon investigation, I learned that her certification through CDPT-KA was "purchased" from an organization that is not truly recognized. Source: www.dogtraining.world, access CDPT-KA and draw your own conclusions. What I will say, is that should either I or any of my family or friends were to become lost, I would want Harry Oakes and any one of his associates looking for me. He is the real deal. read more

Harry Oakes found our little dog Bailey last week after she was lost for 8 nights in the big snow. He was prompt, and delivered his team's services exactly as advertised. We have and will continue to recommend this service to all who have the means to hire him to find their loved one. See our story at KPTV Channel 12 - http://www.kptv.com/story/34293904/dog-reunited-with-owners-after-eight-nights-lost-in-the-snow read more

I emailed Harry Oakes and within 2 hours him and his team of dog showed up to search for my dog that was sideswiped by a car and was missing for 4 days. His dogs picked up the scent and took us strait too him within 10 minutes of searching!! Don't wait 4 days like I did, call him right away!! We could of had our pup so much sooner! Thank you harry willow and Tyler! read more

I can't give this guy any stars. His story always ends the same...that someone picked up the dog/cat, or that it was killed by a predator. I know of 3 people who hired him, paid him $600, and were told the same thing.....that the dog was picked up. One of them, the dog was hiding, within a couple hundred feet of where the "search" started. I suggest avoiding using him at all costs. I've heard way too many horror stories beyond what I've posted here. read more

Contacted Harry this afternoon and was very happy with his quick response. After agreeing to the contract and submitting payment, Harry was on site within a couple of hours and within a very short period of time was able to track her to a general area where she seems to be hanging out. He spent time in the area and was able to find her tracks and also fresh poop. He then canvassed the area further and got another hit from his dogs and actually heard the dog we are looking for scamper away. At that point he knew to back off as to not scare her from the area. He did exactly what we wanted in confirming that she is most likely still in the area. I am happy with the service he provided as well as offering other helpful ideas that should help us in locating her. He provides photos of what he finds and also provides a report. I'm skeptical of the negative reviews as he seems to be quite dedicated to helping folks. Thanks, Harry and I'm hoping to send you a picture as soon as we get this girl. read more

Thank you Harry for coming down and looking for my cat zen. Your dogs great a great job of following her trail, and redirected my search, to stolen since she was picked up in a car. She is a very friendly cat, and so easy to catch. I am following all your advice on how to find her. Thank for your time and patience. read more

We hired Harry Oakes to help find our dachshund-yorkie who went missing on December 5, 2017. I did so reluctantly, given the negative stories I had heard about some previous searches. She is a loving companion for my husband with an advanced case of multiple sclerosis and he expressed a desire to leave no stone unturned. Therefore, from a place of vulnerability and fear for our 16 pound dog out in the elements for five days already, we hired him to come to Portland to search for her. He started out from the corner where she had last been seen 5 days earlier and followed his 2 dogs away from the neighborhood, onto a busy commercial road for a mile, and into a restaurant parking lot where he proclaimed that the scent ended, and that somebody had picked her up. He began giving me information about how to proceed, based on dealing with someone who had committed a crime, i.e., theft of a domestic animal. He then asked me for a ride back to his vehicle. I was incredulous and skeptical that our skittish, anxious little dog would even venture out on such a busy road at all. Regardless, we reluctantly began to rethink out strategy, which meant reaching out to the larger metropolitan area for help. We felt even less optimistic that she would ever be found. 75 minutes later, I received a phone call from a woman in the original neighborhood telling me that she could see "Lucy" at that moment. We knew it was a legitimate sighting because she still had her bright green bandanna on from being groomed the day before she was lost. We rushed over to the area to find her, but Lucy had disappeared again when people tried to chase her to see where she would go. I was using nextdoor.com for community help. Somehow Mr. Oakes got word about the "alleged" sighting and texted me the next day. I responded that the sightings (3 legitimate ones by this time) were legitimate and that I didn't have time to talk with him. Before I knew it, he had driven down from Longview with 3 dogs, this time, to "donate" his time, given that he "might have made a mistake." He began searching the site where she had been seen, (entered private property without permission) and proclaimed that there was no scent of Lucy there, that she had never been there, and that he stood by his original finding the day before. At this point, we were scared that his dogs may have driven her away from that area and that we might have to go back to square one to determine where to look. If Lucy hadn't still had her green bandanna on for each sighting, Mr. Oakes could have dynamited our efforts by steering the search in a completely different direction. After Lucy was found two days later, in the same neighborhood, I emailed him to share my frustration with how he had conducted his business with me. I suggested that he refund the $200 that he charged me for the search. I was willing to let the other $135 in travel expenses go, since he did have travel involved. His response was dismissive and insistent on the legitimacy of his services. He suggested that whoever had stolen Lucy had gotten wind of his search and released her, out of fear, completely disregarding the fact that he claimed she had been picked up from a parking lot over a mile away from where she was sighted. I cannot speak to his motives or his competency, as a search and rescue service. But given that his findings fell into the same pattern that had made us not want to hire him in the first place, I DO NOT recommend him as a search and rescue service. I was told by our county search and rescue department that he is not welcome to participate in their searches. read more

I too had hired Harry to search for my lost cat, I had been warned about him, but he did seem really nice and hired him out of desperation to find my lost family member , he came out with 3 dogs and a lady who was in training, my cat had been gone for 4 months at the time and scent woulda been gone.. Harry claimed scent would still be there after all that time, he looked for my cat and I went with them, they trucked all through the woods and came up with he was stolen ?? hmmmm... he said my cat was alive and had been picked up ... that was it. $400 later.. I never did find my cat after searching and searching for 2 years. I wouldn't do it again. read more

I have worked with International K9 Search and Rescue twice. One animal went missing after being "taken" by a neighbor in financial distress looking to sell a Siamese cat quick on Craigslist. Taking to CL to stop the sale of the cat for quick cash prompted the release of the cat, which then led to the recovery of the cat a short distance away from where it was tracked by the dogs. And recovery back to the owner within 24 hours of capture. The cats owner a disabled veteran had a special bond with this cat and was devastated when it went missing and immediately felt there was no hope. Once the SAR team determined the animal was "Alive" it allowed for the owner to not give up the search and rescue and offered "hope" for recovery. And in this case it was a harrowing story to get the cat back but a happy ending. Cats go missing for many reasons, but in this case, Harry's team tracked it to the exact house of the people who took the cat. Within 2 months after the cat theft, these people had been evicted by the Sheriff's office and were forced out of the neighborhood. The point here is that animals are "taken", sold and profited from, attacked by other animals and killed, hit by cars, etc. when left to roam outside. It's the chance you take. The second time Harry was hired the dogs determined a death scent. Coyote scat in the area contained cat fur. Sad ending but closure to knowing the cat was not coming home. My efforts to post info. on my lost cat separate to Harry's work only brought lots of false leads to cats that were not mine, wasted time and frustration in general. I think you have to keep the perspective that "nothing" is a guarantee in search and rescue. Even if you have multiple animals in your house and the scented item for the lost pet has other animal scents on it can throw SAR dogs off the main scent of the lost animal. Many variables go into the work of these animals. It's sad to see so many negative comments and sour grapes when there are "real" people who have gone on to find their pets. If you don't ever want to pay a SAR company, keep animals indoors and on leash equipped with GPS collar trackers for recovery if they get off leash accidently. read more

I just fell for it. Dogs came into my house and lifted his leg on my couch. "He's never done that before". Ate the cat food in the cat room. Ate the dog food in the dog bowl. Insisted the cat was picked up from my yard, walked down the sidewalk and then the person got into a car 6 blocks away. The weird thing was that the dogs stopped in front of a home of the relative of a very nasty neighbor that lives nearby who has taken one 2 of my cats in the past. I still felt the whole experience stunk. I kinda felt like my house was being cased. He charged me for 7 hours drive time from Longview at $25 an hour plus $100 for gas. $492 later... He rounded it down to $400 because we are an animal rescue organization. Now I'm working with a lost pet service who confirmed my suspicions. I'm embarrassed that as an experienced rescuer I got taken. But our little cat is deaf and we felt desperate. Basically I paid him $400 to walk his dogs. read more