Frequently ASked Questions

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Time is of the essence...

The search for a missing pet can be complex, time consuming and terrifying. Timely action is imperative and when the decision is made to seek help from an expert  be sure that the individual you choose actually has the expertise and skills necessary to design, implement and complete an investigation and search for a missing animal.

There are  fewer than a handful of real professionals skilled at profiling missing pet behavior and the accompanying scenarios. This story about Nugget,  clarifies the need to choose an experienced professional from the onset as opposed to window shopping for the best deal. In almost every case, that cheaper option will result in very little if any results.

Industry professional since 2005...

Karin TarQwyn is a full time licensed private investigator who's sole, (and soul),  specialty is the location and recovery of missing and lost animals.

 In 1997 she began training scent specific canines to search for lost and missing children and adults. In 2004, Karin experienced the grief and panic of a pet gone missing when her own dog, Jack disappeared. After four months Jack was finally found and Karin made the decision to switch her agency practice from humans to pets.

Over whelmed by the number of pet owners requesting help with their missing pet crisis, Karin has trained a select few to assist her in her work. Those professionals make up the core of her company, Lost Pet Professionals.  

Karin's Background & Credentials

Click here as the following may be helpful in determining if tracking dogs are the best option for your missing animal case. Although the best option is to have a private investigator review your case by calling 888-569-5775.

​ K9 Profiling.... by Private Investigators specializing in missing, lost and stolen dogs.

The art of profiling subjects is not a new technology or state of the art invention. The FBI, Private Investigators and detectives in law enforcement have been using this deductive system for years to solve crimes of all types; it can also be used to recover missing pets.

Profiling can also be used  to determine the most likely actions a missing dog or cat may take in a given situation. This can be not only the situation the missing pet is experiencing but even the actual path the animal took when he or she went missing. It can also deduce the likelihood of the individual animal being recovered by a citizen as well as the nuances, location and recovery techniques necessary to bring the furry family member home.

Private Investigator Karin TarQwyn has pioneered this technique in the recovery of missing animals and now feels it can be the fastest and most effective recovery technique available for many missing pet situations. 

... Length of time missing may not be the most important factor when a dog goes missing.

In many cases the earlier a strategy is designed and implemented the better the likelihood of quick and easy recovery.  However, each case is different and criteria related to chances of recovery based on time are best determined by scenario as opposed to days, weeks and months missing.

 It is quite common for Karin to work cases where a pet has been missing six weeks or more. In extreme cases, frustration and panic go up with each week that passes but those pet owners who keep up a consistent search effort are generally rewarded for their pursuits when the pet is found and recovered or the case is otherwise resolved.

Karin is adept at keeping pet owners motivated and on track with their search.

From three hours to a year and a half... gone... Karin, working alongside pet owners, has been successful in bringing missing pets home.

Missing 61 Days... The Search for K9 Karson

“To Lost Pet Professionals, you are one of a kind. The knowledge and training you put into your company and employees goes far beyond anything I have ever seen. It's been a pleasure to work with your company and a professional like Jordina".

Officer Jerry Popp K9 Handler Wilmington Police Department

Missing 9 Weeks - No Sightings - No Leads - 25 miles Away

"My dogs would never have been found if not for Karin and Cade's fantastic nose. My dogs were 25 miles away but Karin figured it out and got my dogs home in one day. I am forever grateful."

Pat Pearce, Oklahoma

How Long Does Scent Last from Karin...

The duration of a viable scent trail is one of the most commonly asked questions.  It is also one of the most controversial and subjective.

 There are many theories and purported expert opinions. I have found that after 23 years working with and training scent specific dogs that the ability to detect and follow scent is different for each individual dog. Two of my dogs have successfully followed the scent of a dog missing 10 months after the subject walked through the area. (This was verified by a witness and the FBI). By comparison, I know of a dog on the east coast that cannot follow a trail if it is older than 24 hours.

The ability to follow a trail for most dogs will be a month or less. One former handler and author claims that scent is not viable after 14 days and I believe this was very true for her dogs as well as those dogs and students trained by her. Quite simply, inexperienced and novice handlers should not work a trail or case where the dog has been missing five days or more.   

This skill must be trained and practiced by expert handlers who work with scent specific dogs on a daily basis. Theory and guess-stimates work in some pursuits but not when it comes to a missing family member... we must be able to trust the K9 pros that will help to find her.

NOTE: We regularly train on trails that are aged three and four months...  my personal preference is to get to a trail within 8 weeks or earlier. There is never a guarantee that the dog team will be able to decipher and follow any trail but in sixteen years and thousands of cases, they have been unable to find a viable trail... only once. They are incredible dogs who are selected and trained for this aspect of their work.