Police and work dog group to host fall K-9 conference at Cloverdale

The American Mantrailing, Police and Work Dog Association (AMPWDA), based in Greencastle, will host its 2016 Fall National K-9 Conference in Cloverdale Sept. 25-Oct. 1.

Search and rescue teams from across America will be in Putnam County maintaining their state of readiness. They will be training day and night throughout the week, ultimately attempting to certify by passing a battery of double blind tests.

AMPWDA was launched in 2009 as the brainchild of Tony Keith. Prior to 2009, Keith served 20 years on the Putnamville Correctional Facility K-9 Unit, working his way up from correctional officer in 1989 to his current position as correctional captain.

Keith served as a K-9 Handler, K-9 Trainer, K-9 Master Trainer, K-9 Field Commander and Emergency Response Operations Cadre for the Indiana Department of Correction and has been on hundreds of manhunts and searches in Putnam County and across Indiana.

The Cloverdale area is where AMPWDA conducts most of its training. Keith noted that one of his first manhunts came in 1993 when he was just a rookie bloodhound handler. That was in Stardust Hills on a search for a missing child, Zachary Snider.

People were everywhere with little or no guidance, Keith recalled. He started his dog at a location where Zachary’s bicycle had last been seen, the dog trailed from there straight to the driveway of Christopher Stevens, who later admitted to a family member that he murdered Zachary Snider and moved his body.

Although Stevens -- later convicted and serving life in prison -- was questioned, the house and car were never searched by law enforcement and Keith being with the Department of Correction K-9, he did not have the authority to search them himself. Bloodhound Chance knew exactly where Zachary was taken when he left his bicycle.

A few years back, Keith made a request to Stardust Hills owner and property manager Don Gedert and obtained permission to utilize the grounds of Stardust Hills to conduct training sessions there. It’s the perfect place, Keith says, because areas like Stardust Hills are exactly where the calls come from. AMPWDA conducts free training once a month. Those training sessions are open to the public as well as emergency teams from across America..

AMPWDA holds two National K-9 Conferences in Putnam County each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Teams from across America and International teams from around the world have come to Putnam County to train with AMPWDA.

The organization has more than 200 members who serve in law enforcement and search and rescue.

“Our only interest is improving these teams so that when they are called to search for the lost or missing they are ready and proficient regardless of their politics,” Keith said.

As result of the Cloverdale tragedy, Zachary’s Law was enacted and the Indiana Sex Offender Registry started.

AMPWDA trains in that area each month and brings teams in from around the world twice each year, “because of the friendly people, outstanding accommodations and in honor of one 10-year-old boy who will always be near and dear to our hearts,” Keith added.

During the week of Sept. 25 through Oct. 1 search and rescue teams will be in several areas in Cloverdale, Greencastle, Van Bibber Lake and rural Putnam County.

Classes will commence at the Stardust Hills Clubhouse each morning at 8:30 before dogs and handlers go out to the field.