Kelly joined BSARD in January 2018, at first providing Field Support, and then as a Senior K9 Handler in February 2025.
Kelly spent nearly 30 years in Law Enforcement, as a Sheriff’s Deputy, a Crime Scene Unit specialist, Evidence Technician, and finally 16 years and as a K9 officer. He often served as an extremely valuable liaison between the team and our Law Enforcement clients, and his expertise and advice were highly valued in our training and search operations.
When he retired from Law Enforcement in 2025 he acquired his most recent patrol partner, K9 Vader, and continued focusing his training for his Search and Rescue career.
Kelly and his wife Sheri left BSARD in October 2025 and followed their dream of building a new home in a scenic area out of state. During his time as a member of BSARD, Kelly participated in 13 search operations.
K9 Vader, Active from 2024 to 2025
K9 Vader is a male German Shepherd Dog who was born in March of 2017. Originally Kelly’s patrol partner, he was certified by OPOTA for Mantrailing and Article Detection.
Vader moved with his family in October 2025. During his tenure with BSARD he participated in 2 search operations.