Rio the Avalanche Dog

She was a poop-eating, fish loving, cuddle bunny bad-ass that touched hundreds of lives and raised by almost as many in the Arapahoe Basin community and beyond.

· Passed FOUR 3-year Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment validations

· Kept green card current for Flight For Life going to hangar for training every 4-6 weeks all winter for 11 years.

· Volunteered “on the board” for Flight For Life Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment an estimated 500+ days.

· Between Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment flew over a dozen training missions and two-night training deployments.

· Passed two Wasatch Backcountry Rescue weeklong K-9 courses at Alta and 1 American Avalanche Institute K-9 course at Grand Targhee. Attended numerous C-RAD fall and winter courses.

· Volunteered for yearly events for awareness and fundraising for A-Basin, C-RAD, NSAA and CAIC.

Deployed at request of Summit County Sheriff’s Office to:

· Vega-Keystone- Worked site for 2-3 hours with 3 other dogs

· Kelso- Clear Creek County- Recovery of buried/ partially excavated victim, cleared rest of site

· Sheep Creek- Clear Creek County-Stood down

· Loveland Ski Area- Inbounds slide-cleared site

· Jones Pass- Grand County- Stood Down

· Loveland Pass-Idiots Cornice-Clear Creek County-cleared site