The 3rd annual Northwest K9 Sniffers Holiday party/potluck is scheduled for Sunday, December 11th from 10:30 to 3:30 at the Sno-Valley Sr. Center in Carnation.  The Senior Center is pretty easy to find (one block of the main street in Carnation).  It is located at 4610 Stephens Ave, Carnation, 98014.  There is a dedicated parking lot at the Sr. Center and street parking in the nearby residential/business area. Please take care to obey any parking signs posted on nearby streets.  If you plan on attending we are going to have at least one sniffing game for the dogs.  We have lots of holiday themed container items for your pup to search and then select those items with birch, anise or clove!  Holiday costumes or X-mas head-wear for your dog are optional, but who can resist?  If we have time and weather permitting, we may also set up one nearby exterior search area.  We also plan on having ‘Santa’ available for a photo opportunity with ‘Mr. Claus’, you and your pup.

Thanks to the generous support of handlers and volunteers we raised over $2,000 (including the club’s matching program) at the Burien trials recently hosted by the club. $1500 of this money was directed to the Northwest K9 Sniffers 2016 PSSC Foundation scholarship. This scholarship was awarded by the Foundation to a graduating senior of the Culinary Arts program at the Puget Sound Skills Center and will be used by the student for continuing education expenses for her first year of college. To read the scholarship essay completed by Kayla (the student awarded the club’s scholarship) click on this link: 2016 Scholarship Essay

Also, if you would like to find out more information about Puget Sound Skills Center here is a short video: https://vimeo.com/163765635

Sherry Kraft has been voted in as the newest member to the Sniffers Board of Directors. The club is fortunate and honored to have a new board member with Sherry’s experience to assist in the planning and organization of club activities.

The club board would also like to extend a big thanks to Donna Toews for her years of service to the Northwest K9 Sniffers board.

By unanimous approval of the voting members at the annual meeting the following changes to the club’s By-Laws have been approved:

2.  For any new member approved for membership after January 30th their dues will also cover the next full Sniffer year (up to fifteen months of membership).

Thanks to everyone who attended the annual meeting and gave their input into these By-Law changes.

All Sniffer members should be aware that at the May 2015 Element trial hosted by the club in Burien we held a fundraiser to benefit a student at the Puget Sounds Skills Center (PSSC). Many who attended the two days of trials heard poignant stories from students at this fantastic facility and how attending PSSC has changed their lives.  Donations were solicited from attendees and the club provided a matching grant program to make each donation dollar go even farther.  In the end we raised $1500 and a scholarship in the name of the club was created!  The PSSC Foundation evaluates all scholarship applications from numerous graduating students and they selected Celina Quintana to receive the K9 Sniffers scholarship for the school year beginning in September 2015.  Here is some information about ‘our’ scholarship recipient, written by one of her instructors.

Celina Quintana has been enrolled in the Fashion Design and Marketing program for the past two years. She is also attending Todd Beamer High School and finishing up her senior year in Running Start with Seattle Central College. In doing so she is taking her prerequisite for the Apparel Design degree, very well respected program within the nation. With all of her education she adds on an internship with Shah Safari a young men’s line being designed here near Queen Ann. She works with Manuel the designer 5 hours a week and has had the opportunities that very few 18 year olds are qualified to do.

Working with Spec Packets of garment to be manufactured overseas, measuring garments for actual fitting, and coordinating presentation boards for meetings with potential buyers of the line. Celina is one in a million and has since the first day I met her, truly wanting to learn all that she can to enhance her career, and future. Her work in the Fashion class is high quality and always within the “A” standards.

The problem solving qualities she has are beyond her years. More importantly her person skills, leadership and team work are exemplary. As her teacher, I can say that Celina will be an asset to whomever hires her after graduation from Seattle Central College. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my teaching career to see Celina grow, mature and develop into a wonderful young woman. We look forward to what is to come and we wish her well.

If you want to read the essay Celina wrote in support of her scholarship application you can see it here:  https://nwk9sniffers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1305_001.pdf

Thanks to Courtney Searls-Ridge for organizing the fundraising effort and to everyone who donated.

The Northwest K9 Sniffers club is just getting started.  Right now you can view the club By-Laws and Code of Conduct, as well as download a membership application.  Current club members are busy planning fun events so keep checking back at this website for further details.

The purpose of the NWK9 Sniffers Club is to promote and foster an interest in, and appreciation of, companion dogs trained in scent detection sports; to promote positive educational and other training events; and to offer canine scent work activities.