Fee-Based Pet Detective Training
© 2007 Missing Pet Partnership. All rights reserved.
MAR Technician Training
Missing Pet Partnership (MPP) manages the first-ever pet detective academy (formerly called Pet Hunters International) that trains and certifies pet detectives and search dogs to track lost pets. MPP was founded by Kat Albrecht, a police detective-turned-pet detective who pioneered what are now called Missing Animal Response (MAR) services. The majority (but not all) of the successful pet detectives working in the USA, Canada, and even Ireland have been trained through Missing Pet Partnership.
MAR Technicians are trained how and when to use Luminol, a chemical used to confirm the presence of blood in low light conditions. In the photos on the right, vials of fish, dog, and human blood were spilled on grass and Luminol was then sprayed over each of the stains. The photo on the left was taken using a flash (stains are not visible) and then the photo on the right was taken without a flash (stains clearly visible).
MAR services mirror the same investigative techniques, technologies, and strategies that police detectives and search-and-rescue technicians use to solve missing persons investigations. Missing Pet Partnership's MAR Technicians are fee-based pet detectives trained in the science of how, when, and where to search for lost pets. MAR Technicians learn how to solve lost-pet investigations using the same law enforcement-based investigative techniques used to solve lost-person investigations. This includes the use of CSI-type techniques, such as the application of deductive reasoning, search probability theory, deception detection, behavioral profiling to predict distances that lost pets travel, and utilization of high-tech equipment (search cameras, amplified listening devices, and humane traps with baby monitors). In addition, MAR Technicians are trained in how to collect and analyze physical evidence, how to use DNA testing and forensic anthropologists to solve cases, how to use presumptive blood testing to analyze suspected kill sites, and how to identify wildlife tracks and scat (i.e. coyote droppings, owl pellets, etc.).
Can I Make A Living At This?
One of the most common questions we are asked is, "Can I make a living as a pet detective?" The answer is rather complex. There is clearly a need for lost pet services, and there are plenty of potential clients. The American Pet Products Manufactures Association estimates that in 2007 there were approximately 88.3 million cats, 74.8 million dogs, 16 million birds, 13.4 million reptiles, and 24.3 million small animals owned by families across the United States. It also estimated that pet owners spent over $40 billion on their pets during that year. HomeAgain, a national microchip company, estimates that one out of three pets will become lost in its lifetime, and more than 10 million pets are lost or stolen every year. The need for lost pet services cannot be denied!
However, Missing Pet Partnership is only in the infant stages of developing MAR services, so it is hard to predict just how much of a demand there will be for lost pet services. Much of this will depend on the population of your area, the fee that you charge, your level of availability and willingness to search at night, whether or not you become certified, and how effective you are at marketing your services on a local level. While a handful of MAR Technicians currently are making a successful living as pet detectives, most have to travel extensively in order to work cases.
It is safe to say that you can expect to make your MAR work at least a part-time job or that you can use it to supplement your current income. Many professionals in the pet industry are planning to add MAR services to their existing pet sitting, dog training, and dog daycare businesses. We've even seen a few veterinarians interested in launching lost pet services through their practice and several veterinary technicians who plan to "moonlight" as pet detectives to supplement their income. We expect that over the next several years the need and demand for lost pet services will continue to escalate. In addition, we expect that consumers will prefer to utilize credible, certified MAR Technicians who have proven through a testing process that they (and their search dogs) are qualified to search for lost pets. However, you should know that MAR work can be stressful, depressing (you will experience many sad endings), physically demanding, and it will require a lot of your time if you decide to train a MAR dog. You'll need keen business skills in order to manage your business and your services successfully.
The Training Course
Our MAR Technician seminars are 5 1/2 days long and typically run from Friday evening through 5:00 p.m. the following Wednesday. A select number of qualified participants are able to bring their dogs to these seminars where they receive over six hours of MAR dog training instruction. Topics that are covered in our MAR technician course include:
- How and when to use high-tech equipment versus trained search dogs to find lost pets;
- How pets behave when lost, how far they travel, and the most probable locations where they can be found;
- How behavior (human and animal) influences the chances that a lost dog or lost cat will be reunited with an owner;
- How to use "trap-and-reunite" and "attract-and-capture" techniques to recover panicked dogs and cats (e.g. after natural disasters or fireworks on New Year's Eve and July 4th);
- How to use deductive reasoning to process clues, search probability theory to know where to search, and behavioral profiling to predict the distance a lost pet will travel;
- How to use presumptive blood analysis, DNA testing, scatology, and forensic anthropology to solve lost pet investigations; and
- How to offer MAR services in your community as a side business, as a new service through an existing business, or as a community service through a nonprofit organization.
The MAR Technician course includes a final examination and certification. Missing Pet Partnership also offers advanced training for our MAR Technicians through our new Wilderness MAR course. Participants receive instruction in animal tracking, awareness, interpretive bird language, and wilderness survival skills.
To find seminars in your area, visit our Course Schedule page.
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