K9 1 RESCUED TO RESCUE FOUNDATION
Located in Indian River County, FL
OUR STORY
The history of K9 1 Rescued to Rescue is rooted in the experience and passion of Brian Reimsnyder, a former K9 Sergeant at Indian River County. Before his retirement, Brian launched K9 1 Training and Consulting in 2019, applying his expertise to rehabilitate and train dogs. Through a partnership with HALO's Homeward Bound Program, he began working with dogs that were considered unadoptable, rehabilitating them so they could find new homes.
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Brian's motivation to start the nonprofit stemmed from personal loss. Hearing about suicides of several colleagues and friends in law enforcement, Brian felt called to take action. He saw an opportunity to make a difference by combining his skills in dog training with a mission to help veterans and first responders, many of whom face mental health challenges such as PTSD and depression. His vision was to rescue shelter dogs, rehabilitate them, and then pair them with veterans and first responders, providing both the dogs and their handlers with a new purpose—these dogs become service animals, offering support and companionship.
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This mission is not only about saving dogs but also about addressing the mental health crisis in the veteran and first responder communities, making K9 1 Rescued to Rescue a unique initiative in this space.
Our Why
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Our Success
Raven
Raven was a client surrender in May 2024. Through our evaluation process, our trainers were able to determine that Raven had the qualities necessary to become a therapy dog. K9 Rescued to Rescue Foundation learned that the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office was expanding their therapy dog program and inquired about a dog.
Deputy Boles was paired with Raven and their first day together on patrol, they saved the life of a suicidal subject. Upon learning Raven’s appearance, the subject agreed to come outside to see her. Deputies were then peacefully able to transport the subject to the hospital for further help. Since that time, Raven has been utilized not only on calls for service but to help other co-workers who have been to critical incidents or high stress calls or just need a friendly visit. Raven is there to help.
OUR TEAM
Brian Reimsnyder
Owner & Founder, K91 Training and Consulting
Brian Reimsnyder has over 20 years of experience providing expert dog training in Indian River County. His career in law enforcement began in 1998 as a deputy sheriff at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO). In 2000, after volunteering more than 1,000 hours to law enforcement K9 training, Brian was selected as a K9 handler. Over his tenure, he worked with six dogs, including four dual-purpose narcotics/patrol dogs and two search and rescue bloodhounds.
​​Brian’s dedication to training extended beyond handling his own dogs. He became the lead instructor for K9 units under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for IRCSO, Vero Beach Police Department, and Sebastian Police Department. As an FDLE state evaluator, he was responsible for certifying K9 teams across Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, and Martin counties. In addition, as the president of the Police Work Dog Association of Florida (PWDAF), Brian organizes narcotics training schools, seminars, and annual certifications. He retired as the sergeant overseeing the IRCSO K9 unit in 2023, concluding a 25-year career in law enforcement.
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Beyond his work with law enforcement, Brian also worked with explosive detection dogs for Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruise Lines. In 2019, K9 1 expanded to train pets and rescue dogs. Brian partnered with HALO, a local nonprofit no-kill shelter, to develop the Homeward Bound program, which rehabilitates difficult-to-adopt dogs, giving them a second chance at finding permanent homes.
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In 2024, Brian founded the nonprofit “Rescued to Rescue,” which focuses on training rescue dogs for service work, continuing his mission to improve the lives of both dogs and their future owners.
Mindy Mangel
Executive Director
Mindy Mangel is a U.S. Air Force Veteran with 18 years of law enforcement experience. She began her law enforcement career in Colorado in 2007, where she became a K9 handler after raising $15,000 to purchase a patrol dog and all necessary equipment. In 2019, Mindy joined the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in Florida, continuing her passion for K9 work. Selected as a K9 handler in 2021, she currently works a dual purpose narcotics/patrol dog.
Taylor Reimsnyder
canine trainer, kennel tech, & medical caretaker
Taylor joined K91 full time in November of 2021 after helping from the side since 2019 to strengthen her passion for dog training. she has multiple years of experience as a former vet tech & head of kennels for Live Oak Animal Hospital & currently handle any medical needs for clients. she still has a wonderful relationship with them, which in turn has provided K9 1 with a reputable vet for preferred care.
She has experience with working dogs as she grew up with Brian's K9 partners since he joined the IRCSO K9 unit when she was 4 years old. she has 3 dogs of her own, Taser, Scamp, & Echo. Taser is a working line GSD x Malinois that they bred for with Brian's past partner, Kobi. Scamp is her first attachment to shelter work as he was a Potcake “foster fail” through HALO. Echo is a Malinois client surrender that she has trained personally & now is
K9 1's "welcome wagon" to introduce to reactive dogs to help build their confidence.
She has always had a passion for animals & their care. In her years of being in the vet med industry, it introduced her to her own trauma cases & mental health battles. she states she would not be here today without her faith in God & having Taser by her side during her darkest time. she herself knows how the lack of attention into the suicide rate in her past profession took a toll on her & understands how much of a larger scale military members & first responders deal with it on a daily basis. With her experience in vet med, helping place multiple dogs in homes, & personal mental health battles she has found a new passion in helping dogs out of shelters to help the heroes who’ve helped our nation.
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Taylor helped kickstart the K9 1 Rescued to rescue Foundation into what it is today.