K9 Team Bios
Dr. Elle De Ford
Elle De Ford, MS, PhD, DVM holds multiple active and past certifications and memberships in the veterinary field (e.g., CCRP, TCCC, cVMA), behavioral field (e.g., Behavioral Modification), emergency response field (e.g., ICS, WFR, SAR Tech II, CPR, AED), K9 field (e.g., IPWDA, ARDA) and CBRNE field (e.g., MCBC, HazMat, CWA). As a mountaineer and climber, she trained in leadership facilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Outdoor Adventure Program briefly in swift water and high-angle rescue. DR Elle served in the US Army, and consulted for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a Subject Matter Expert (e.g., neuroscience, training, sensor technology, K9 olfaction), and project management. She has nearly 20 years in the K9 Search and Rescue (K9 SAR) community as a handler, trainer, and veterinarian specializing in working dog field medicine, research and education. As Founding member and CEO for K9 Field Vet Mobile Unit INC (501c3, K9FV), in her spare time, she continues to organize and participate in veterinary care and research for working dogs in the field (e.g., training seminars, deployment) as well as provide K9 and veterinary staff education and training (e.g., working dog nutrition, medical management, K9 First Aid for Handlers). Her approach to veterinary medicine and working dog medical management reflects over 30 years of experience in studying physiological psychology/neuroscience, learning, and memory, as well as behavioral and cognitive performance in animals.
Barb Insel
Barb Insel, CVT (IL, MI), has been a practicing veterinary technician for more than 20 years; 15 of those in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. She is certified in Medical Handling of Working Dogs (MHWD). She also holds a Victoria Stilwell Dog Training and Behavior certification, she is an active canine obedience [e.g., Puppy, Basic, Canine Life and Social Skills (CLASS)] and NoseWorks instructor. Barb also trains, handles, and competes (e.g., obedience, Rally, NoseWorks) with her Belgian Malinois, after adopting him from a dissolved security company. He holds Canine Good Citizen (CGC), American Kennel Club (AKC) Temperament, Level 1 Canine Work and Games (C-WAGS), National Association Canine Scent Work (NACSW) Level 2, and Canine Performance Events (CPE) titles. She belongs to AKC, C-WAGS, CPE, and the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW). Recently, Barb has begun working toward K9 HRD detection work.
Haley Veltri
Haley Veltri (AA), Veterinary Technician, holds an Associate’s degree in criminal justice, focused in Animal Law Enforcement. She is certified in Medical Handling of Working Dogs (MHWD). She is currently studying for her certified veterinary technician (CVT) certification, which she is scheduled to complete in 2022. Haley has worked in the veterinary field for 8 years covering a vast number of positions at different clinics. She’s worked in emergency, surgery, and rehabilitation at Veterinary Specialty Center. Haley also has a Therapy Dog (CGC, TDA). Her passion for helping animals continues to grow as she plans to further her education and specialize in working dogs (training and rehabilitation).