Featured Programs
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LED‑21® —Law Enforcement Dogs (LED) for the 21st Century
High‑impact leadership and performance training for K9 team leaders and public‑safety executives, integrating habit science, resilience coaching, and operational decision‑making.
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AAI‑21® — Animal‑Assisted Intervention (AAI) for the 21st Century
University‑aligned curricula and implementation support to integrate canine‑assisted interventions into trauma recovery, juvenile rehabilitation, and victim services.
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SAR‑21® — Search & Rescue (SAR) for the 21st Century
Community‑ready SAR training, certification, and rapid‑deployment standards for disaster response, missing‑person searches, and multi‑agency coordination.
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PSA-21® — Public Safety Advancement (PSA) for the 21st Century
Cross‑sector professional development and policy guidance to modernize public‑safety systems—aligning K9 operations, technology, and community partnerships to meet contemporary threats and resilience needs.
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Pawsitive Pathways — Registered Apprenticeship & Workforce Development
A Department of Labor–registered apprenticeship co‑developed with La Sierra University and AAI‑21®. Designed for corrections integration, it provides paid apprenticeships with classroom and hands‑on canine care training, stackable industry certifications, credit pathways, and career transition support into K9 handling, SAR, veterinary support, and AAI roles.
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JOBS 4 JUVENILES — Pre‑Apprenticeship, Workforce & Resilience Pathways
Pre‑apprenticeship (age 16–24) career‑readiness, life‑skills, and hands‑on K9 engagement to prepare justice‑involved youth for entry into apprenticeships and employment in animal care, public safety, and allied fields. Includes basic certifications, mentorship, and warm‑hand‑offs into paid apprenticeship pipelines.
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American Kennel Club (AKC) Therapy Dog Program
Comprehensive certification and handler training preparing teams for therapeutic visitation, reading programs, and institutional support roles.
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Training & Classes
Learn with RRK9 — practical, safe, and mission‑driven training for pets, handlers, and professionals.
What We Offer
Vaccination, Waiver & Safety Requirements
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Health first: All dogs must have current vaccinations and a vet health certificate before the first class. Required vaccines: Rabies, DHPP/DHLPP, Bordetella, and routine parasite prevention. Puppies: age‑appropriate series and deworming.
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Liability & safety: All participants sign a Responsibility Pledge and Liability Waiver. We verify handler identity and credentials during registration.
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Insurance & recording: Both handler and dog are covered by program insurance while training on site; sessions are recorded for trainer review and quality assurance.
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If a dog shows signs of illness, we will require veterinary clearance before returning to class.
Certifications & Credits
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AKC Therapy Dog support and AAI‑21® certification tracks available.
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LED‑21®, SAR‑21®, and specialty certifications for professional handlers.
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College credit options through our La Sierra University partnership for eligible courses and apprenticeships.
How to Get Started
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Review class descriptions and schedule on the Class Schedule page.
Complete the Intake & Registration Form (it takes 5–7 minutes).
Upload vaccination records and sign the waiver when prompted.
We’ll confirm your placement and send pre‑class instructions.
Need Help Choosing?
If you’re unsure which class fits your dog or goals, tell us in the form or email contact@redemptionroadk9.com — we’ll recommend the best path.
Ready To Join?
Start HERE: Request Class / Register →
SAR & Operations
GA‑CERT K9 — Ready, trained, and mission‑tested for community response.
GA‑CERT K9 is Redemption Road K9’s statewide Search & Rescue and emergency response unit. We train and deploy certified teams for wilderness and urban search, disaster response, missing‑person incidents, and multi‑agency operations. Our teams combine evidence‑based canine science, tactical field training, and interagency coordination to deliver reliable outcomes when lives and safety are at stake.
Capabilities & Deployments
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Type of missions: wilderness/urban search, area & tracking, human remains detection, disaster response, shelter/evacuation support.
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Rapid deployment: established mobilization protocols for local, regional, and statewide responses.
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Multi‑agency integration: interoperable procedures for working with law enforcement, fire, EMS, and emergency management.
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Training standards: SAR‑21® curriculum, handler certification, and ongoing scenario‑based exercises.
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Animal welfare & safety: strict health, rest, and welfare protocols for K9s and handlers during deployment.
Partner Pathways
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Request a Deployment: Agencies may request GA‑CERT K9 for emergent or planned missions. We prioritize requests based on incident severity and operational fit.
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Mutual Aid & MOUs: We establish MOUs with partner agencies to streamline activation, reimbursement, and operational roles.
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Joint Exercises & Interoperability: We offer multi‑agency drills, comms integration training, and tabletop exercises to improve coordinated responses.
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Capacity Building & TTA: Technical assistance for agencies building in‑house K9 capability, including Train‑the‑Trainer, policy review, and operational readiness assessments.
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Volunteer & Affiliate Programs: Pathways for trained volunteers, credentialed handlers, and academic partners to support missions and training.
Readiness & Requirements
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Requesting agencies should provide incident details, location, safety considerations, and point of contact.
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For on‑site deployments, agencies coordinate staging, access control, safety briefings, and incident command integration.
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GA‑CERT K9 requires assurances around handler safety, minimal interference, and respect for animal‑welfare rest cycles during long missions.
What To Expect
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Rapid acknowledgment of your request.
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Operational triage call to confirm scope, safety, and logistics.
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Deployment plan or partnership proposal with role definitions, timelines, and any cost/reimbursement guidance.
Request Deployment / Partnership
To request GA‑CERT K9 support or explore partnership or volunteer options, complete our Deployment & Partnership Request form. Please include incident details, agency accreditation, point of contact, and any MOUs or operational constraints.
Need immediate assistance? For time‑sensitive incidents, call our emergency contact: (678) 609-3384 OR EMAIL CONTACT@GACERTK9.ORG.
Wellness & Support
Keeping handlers and K9s healthy, safe, and mission‑ready.
RRK9’s Wellness & Support program combines clinical care, operational medical training, and complementary wellness practices to protect K9 health, support handler readiness, and ensure safe, ethical operations in the field.
Why It Matters
Well‑trained handlers and rigorous wellness protocols save lives—of people and dogs. RRK9 equips teams to reduce harm, improve recovery, and sustain mission readiness with compassion and best‑practice care.
