GTK9 Avalanche Dogs

Guardians of the Mountains

Join us in supporting the brave teams of handlers and their certified avalanche rescue dogs as they safeguard lives in the snowy terrains of Grand Targhee.

Tin Cup Donations Make a Donation

Getting Involved

Your Donation Helps

Gardieans of the mountain

GTK9 Avalanche Dogs is a dedicated nonprofit organization formed by the Grand Targhee Ski Patrol and their skilled avalanche search and rescue dogs. Our mission is to ensure safety in avalanche-prone areas through expert training and rapid deployment. With the support of Grand Targhee Resort and generous donors, we provide essential training, equipment, and care for our canine heroes, ensuring they are always ready to respond to emergencies.

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MakING a Donation

Unyielding Dedication: Our teams are committed to rigorous training and readiness for every rescue mission.

Community Support: Your contributions help us train and equip our rescue teams to save lives.

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Tin Cup Challenge

Teton Valley’s Premier Giving Event

The Tin Cup Challenge is Teton Valley’s premier community giving event — a six-week campaign that coordinates donations to local nonprofits, culminating in Tin Cup Event Day. Challengers match donations to amplify every gift.

Since its inception, the Tin Cup Challenge has channeled millions of dollars to Teton Valley nonprofits, making it one of the most impactful community giving events in the region.

How it Works

How the Tin Cup Challenge Works

The Tin Cup Challenge runs as a six-week community giving campaign. Donors contribute to participating nonprofits, and Challengers provide matching funds that amplify the impact of every donation.

Six-week community giving campaign
Donations matched by Challengers
Participating nonprofits receive amplified funding
Culminates in Tin Cup Event Day celebration

DONATE TO GTK9 THROUGH TIN CUP

Meet The Teams

Tele

DOB: 12/24/2018

Breed: 100% good dog/mutt

Likes: finding people, long walks on the beach, ski touring, running, Bully sticks

Dislikes: objects falling on her, short walks on the beach, big loud waves

Favorite toy: ruffwear frisbee

Superpower: being a great big sister to my daughter

Handler: Dan Nagy

river

DOB: 6/3/2023

Breed: Shepherd mix

Likes: antlers and fishing

Dislikes: bananas

Favorite toy: Henry the hedgehog

Superpower: finding buried people

Handler: Jenna Burkey

Tim the Dog!

DOB: 4/26/22

Breed: Yellow Lab

Likes: Going to work, chasing balls

Dislikes: Pet-icures, Wearing clothes

Favorite toy: Humans, any that will play with him

Superpower: Snuggles, making friends

Handlers: Abbey Howard & Jean-Luke Ankney

ada bean

DOB: 5/21/23

Breed: Red Lab

Likes: playing fetch, going to work, running full speed, stealing socks/hats/buffs

Dislikes: the hockey rink, arugula, activities that do not include her

Favorite toy: Ruffwear frisbee or anything she can get you to play fetch with.

Superpower: being equal parts parkour ninja menace & lovey snugglebug

Handler: Becca Parkinson

nugget

Dog: Nugget

DOB: 5/11/24

Breed: American Field Golden Retriever

Likes: Hats, Slippers, Attention

Dislikes: Vacuum cleaners

Favorite toy: anything he can tug

Super Power: https://www.coreysfoundation.org/

Handler: Dan Hays

ripple

DOB: 6/22/23

Breed: Labrador Retriever

Likes: Swimming, fetch and tug, being chased and outrunning her pursuer, toy parades and butt wiggles, wrestling with her older brother Mikko, messing around with kitty, SNACKS!!, adventuring in new places, rolling in really gross things, and last but not least, kissing.

Dislikes: #1 Baths. #2 BATHS!! Cannot stress this enough. #3 Life-size cutouts of two-dimensional people. #4 Being without her Mikko. #5 Moments of the day not playing.

Favorite Toy: Anything she can chase, fetch, and shred. Wool scraps, fancy toys, remnants of former toys, does not matter. But if a ball is around, all bets are off with everything else.

Superpower: Breaking hearts and ripping farts

Handlers: Kelsey and Casey O’Connor

mikko (aka "meatball")

Dog: Mikko (aka “Meatball”)

DOB: 3/13/16Breed: Labrador Retriever

Likes: Meatballs!! Also sending (into water, off cornices, whatever), seal slides in the snow, being the boss and telling everyone about it loudly, stealing hats off heads and parading the win, sled-necking, popcorn clean-up crew, and chewing on his little sister Ripple. Also sleeping. Lots of sleeping.

Dislikes: Food he can’t eat, snacks he can’t have

Favorite Toy: Giant kickball for his giant mouth, also stolen hats

Superpower: Being really really ridiculously good looking

Handlers: Kelsey and Casey O’Connor

mochi

DOB: 2/22/24

Breed: Border collie, Aussie, Catahoula, Hound, Lab (aka Arizona snake dog)

Likes: playing with our cat, dog friends, and couch time

Dislikes: her puffy coat

Favorite toy: bones and any toy

Superpower: porpoising or slithering through snow

Handler: Mary Wolfe

tuna

DOB: 6/6/2024

Breed: Idaho Shag

Likes: anything that moves

Dislikes: rest days

Favorite toy: anything is a toy if you’re Tuna

Superpower: shadow-biting featherweight champ of the intermountain west

Handler: Leah Kapeller

Calvin

DOB: 5/2020

Breed: German Shephard x Brittney Spaniel x Pug

Likes: Being the boss’s dog, roving the base area

Dislikes: ski instructors

Favorite toy: ruffwear bumper

Superpower: waking the dead with his screams

Handler: Joe Calder

What we do

Our Services

PURPOSE

The Grand Targhee Avalanche Dogs are a specialized team trained to assist in mountain rescue operations, particularly in avalanche scenarios.

Training

These dogs undergo rigorous training to locate buried individuals quickly. They are trained to recognize human scent in snow and can work effectively in challenging weather conditions.

Role in Rescue

In case of an avalanche, these dogs help search for victims by alerting their handlers to the presence of trapped individuals, significantly improving rescue response times.

Teamwork

The dogs work closely with ski patrols and rescue teams, enhancing safety for skiers and snowboarders in the backcountry.

What Drives Us

Our Mission