CONTACTS: IPWDA Master Trainer Deborah Palman dpalman1@gmail.com Cell: 207-944-1131 Maine K9 Services  |  Maine Search And Rescue Dogs IPWDA Master Trainer Celeste Robitaille robok99@aol.com Cell: 203-650-8859 IPWDA SAR Instructor Michele Fleury mfleury110@gmail.com Cell: 207-242-1245 Maine Search And Rescue Dogs IPWDA SAR Instructor Kathryn Bamford kbamford@prodigy.net Cell: 585-704-0859 Massasauga Search and Rescue Team IPWDA SAR Instructor Jennifer Anderson tughollow@cox.net Cell: 401-323-3646 Rhode Island Search and Rescue Team

SCHEDULE: IPWDA Annual Regional Workshop 2026 Thursday, September 17 0800: 40-acre Wilderness Search Test; Meet at the Fairgrounds at 0800, or TBA for am and pm tests. Friday, September 18 0900-1000: Orientation (Barn 1 behind the exhibition hall) 1000-1200: Training & testing/Obedience testing and Prerequisites 1200-1300: Lunch 1300-1700: Training & testing Saturday, September 19 0800-0900: Daily Debriefing and Briefing (Barn 1 behind the exhibition hall) 0900-1200: Training & testing 1200-1300: Lunch 1300-1700: Training & testing 1700-1745: Raffle Sunday, September 20 0800-0900: Daily Debriefing and Briefing (Barn 1 behind the exhibition hall) 0900-1200: Training and completing testing as needed 1200-1300: Lunch 1300-1600: Training

 

FEES:

• $390 Dog Handler and one dog
• $90 each additional dog – 3 dogs maximum with preapproval from Deb Palman
• $180 Auditing
• $80 fee for Wilderness testing on September 17th
• Testing offered: SAR Wilderness 40-acre, Land HRD, HRD Crime Scene, possibly the 20-acre large area HRD, Trailing and Article Search. Water HRD available. Because of time constraints, we may not be able to offer re-testing. If you have scheduling restrictions, please contact Deb Palman.
• Current membership in IPWDA is needed for testing (but not for training only).
• Please review the IPWDA testing standards because there are many prerequisites for testing. One change is that handlers have to provide their own search report forms.

 

Lodging in the area that will take dogs (please double check as these have not been checked for 2026):

• Fairfield Inn & Suites, 36 Old Portland Road, Brunswick, ME 04411, Tel. 207-721-0300
• Rodeway Inn and Suites, 287 Bath Road, Brunswick, ME 04411 Tel. 207-729-6661
• Comfort Inn, 199 Pleasant ST., Brunswick, Me 04411, Tel. 207-729-1129
• Days Inn, Brunswick Bath Area, 224 Bath Road, Brunswick, ME 04011, Tel. 207-725-8883
• Residence Inn by Marriott, 139 Richardson St., Bath, ME 04530, Tel. (207) 443-9741
• Hotel 44 North, 500 US-1, Freeport, ME 04032, Tel. (207) 865-9300
• Econo Lodge Brunswick Freeport, 537 US-1, Freeport, ME 04032, Tel. (207) 865-3777
• Maine Idyll Motor Court, 1411 US Route 1, Freeport, ME 04032, Tel. 207-865-4201
• Campbell’s Pond, Phippsburg, ME
  
• White’s Beach & Campground , Brunswick, ME
  
• Cedar Haven Family Campground, Freeport, ME
  
• Freeport/Durham KOA, Durham, ME
  
• Meadowbrook Camping Area, Phippsburg, ME
  
• Durham Leisure Campground, Durham, ME
  
• Freeport Village Campground, Freeport, ME
  
• Hermit Island Campground , Phippsburg, ME
  
• Augusta/Gardiner KOA, Richmond, ME
  

 

CAMPING AT THE FAIRGROUNDS: There is camping at the Topsham Fairgrounds this year. Alternatives are listed above.

Tentative Schedule: Thursday 8 am to 5 pm (Wilderness only) Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 5 pm, Sunday 8 am to 5 pm. Venues for training will be provided for teams that are waiting for testing, but instructors may not be available until testing is over. In some cases, handlers may be able to observe testing for training purposes. We will meet at the open building near the Exhibition Hall each morning at the Topsham Fair Grounds. Boat training and testing will probably be available off site at a small pond. Shoreline is available in a small stream at the fairgrounds and off site. Boat work would be conducted primarily on Sunday.

Testing for 40-acre Wilderness Air Scent teams will take place off site on Thursday, 9/17. Please meet at the Fairgrounds at 8:00 am on Thursday for obedience testing and other prerequisites. A $80.00 fee is needed for this testing. 40-acre tests may have to be limited depending on how many sign up. Volunteer hiders are welcome – let Deb know if they can help on Thursday and more tests may be possible. Call Deb Palman to check on scheduling and availability for 40-acre tests. Wilderness 40 acre testing on Thursday is full, no more tests will be available on that day.

Handlers will not be allowed to test two dogs on the same testing venue, unless the lead Instructor allows it because the test will not be compromised by repeating it. In other words, the first dog did so poorly that that the handler would not know where the hides were and could test a second dog without the test being compromised.