Beyale, K-9s on a mission to help Navajo Nation families with search, rescue nonprofit

Desperate for answers, many communities – including the Native American tribal communities in the Southwest –  need as much help as possible when searching for a missing loved one. That’s where Bernadine Beyale ’05 and her trusty sidekicks step in.

It started when Beyale met her German shepherd, Trigger. With time, obedience and training in search and rescue, the pair created a bond that led them to help others.

“Trigger just amazed all of us. He was amazing, super smart, picked up on everything,” Beyale says. “When he was about six to eight months old, his trainer said that Trigger had what is needed to be a search and rescue dog.”

The pair started their search and rescue journey in 2016 with the New Mexico Badlands Search and Rescue team, then eventually had an eye-opening experience with an elderly Navajo couple whose son was missing for six months with no answers.

“It broke my heart to see that they were out there in the hilly terrain and the heat,” Beyale says. “They asked me if there was any way that I could help them, and I said yes.”

Beyale and Trigger searched for the couple’s son and were able to provide answers for the family. That’s when word of mouth started growing, and more families reached out sharing their stories of missing relatives.

“I didn’t know how many people went missing when I started all of this,” she says. “There’s not enough help there; you have the Navajo police, but they’re short-handed as well, and they cover vast areas. Trigger and I started doing a lot of searches on our own with families and later in 2021, I knew I wanted to help more people.”

Despite facing some jurisdiction obstacles in the beginning, in March 2022, Beyale officially started the nonprofit organization, 4Corners K-9 Search and Rescue. She’s trained certified team members, gained volunteers, and added another certified search and rescue K-9, Gunny. 

In November 2023, Trigger was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He battled bone cancer through a leg amputation and chemotherapy, but passed away in early February 2024.

“This all started because of Trigger,” Beyale says. “With all the searches he’s been on, I’ve never had a dog like that. It’s been really hard lately to keep things moving, but we’re working through it, and he wouldn’t want us to stop because he set that foundation for us to keep going.”

And so the team did. Since 2022, they’ve accomplished more than 60 searches for unsolved missing person cases throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Beyale says the ongoing goal and challenge is raising enough awareness, education and communication.

“There’s a gap between families and law enforcement,” she says. “The important thing is keeping in touch with these families.”

To learn more about 4Corners K-9 Search and Rescue or to make a donation, visit 4ck9sar.org.