Google In Review.
As a public figure involved in SAR for going on 49 years, it’s fascinating that some folks keep calling me a “Fraud” and a “Scam Artist”. Anyone who has any common sense what so ever knows first hand I’m one of the most successful SAR folks in the world.
This isn’t me just saying that I’m successful. All anyone has to do is review over the last 49 years my success stories in the news, online with social media, and even talk to the various law enforcement agencies and they would see how ridiculous these two comments, “Fraud” and “Scam artist”.
Now we all know why the trolls attack me. “Jealousy, ignorance, stupidity”. It seems in this world, if you attack a PUBLIC FIGURE, this gives you some kind of public notary. And, as anyone who has a brain knows, there are two sides to every story.
From 1972 to 1989 I was a volunteer search and rescue person. Assisting in SAR with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office from 1972-1974 as a cadet with explorer post # 900. We assisted SAR #631 as needed. Each search was supervised by the sheriff’s office and documented.
From 1974-1977. I was involved in US Army Military Police involved with Emergency MAST teams. Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic. Assisting Military and Civilian agencies as needed. All supervised and documented.
1978- to 1986. Not only was I working actively as a Police officer with various departments, but also was cross trained as an EMT air way iv tech and volunteered with Back Country Ski patrol. Again all cases documented by Clackamas and Skamania County Sheriff’s office for Mt Hood and Mt St Helens.
1986- to 1997- Volunteered with Portland Mountain Rescue, Mountain Wilderness Search Dogs, American Red Cross Disaster action teams. Again, all of these cases were volunteer non- paid positions. All documented by various agencies.
1998. I was removed from volunteer call out list for TESTIFYING against the sheriff’s office, investigated for 3 years by the Oregon Department of Justice because the OSSA was trying to shut me up and shut me down. But this backfired on the OSSA. Not only was my testimony in the Oregon legislature accepted during the HB 3093 hearings, but supported by the Oregon Mountain Rescue Council, Oregon State Police and Oregon fire fighter association.
After the DOJ’s 3- year investigation, I was found NOT GUILTY of any wrong doing. All of my SAR cases were reviewed. My IRS files reviewed and audited. The Ore. DOJ made this statement
”These were the best audit and accurate records they had ever seen in any of their investigations”.
Senator Charlie Ringo donated his time and efforts as my attorney and validated every thing I’ve ever said and done in regards to my volunteer work .
It was the Oregon Dept of Justice who turned me from a all- volunteer non- profit organization into a privately paid contractor, so that the OSSA (Oregon State Sheriff’s Association) has absolutely no control over what I did in SAR. As long as I provided each client with a contract that spelled out what I could and couldn’t do for them, and obeyed all laws regarding my work, I was protected and still am by the DOJ.
This made me a public target for several folks who was upset that I was found innocent of any wrong doing. Never mind that the OSSA was trying to cover up the deaths of two innocent children in Klamath County, Ore. It was open season on me. Harry Oakes. I knew that I had my supporters and followers and also had made some enemies. That’s when I went public and said the following which holds true today.
To all the “Harry haters out there, please supply me and my attorney with one single piece of documented evidence that would support any of your statements that would hold up in a court of law as evidence and not HEARSAY. As I’ve done just that. I’ve provided the DOJ, IRS, FBI, and all justice system with hard copied evidence that support everything I’ve said and done. And found to be 100% above reproach.
So let’s review some of these statements made against me.
Let’s google my name and I’ll show you my side of each of these attacks.
Let’s start with YELP Reviews. Out of the 14,414 cases I’ve worked since 1986, I have thousands upon thousands of satisfied clients.
Let’s remember anyone can do their own research and find what I’m about to say is 100% accurate. The reviews on Yelp are mostly positive. For the 7 that are negative, four have been proven 100% false. When I sent the information proving to yelp that four were negative and based on false information, YELP printed them anyway. This is why I don’t support yelp as they are not an honest review platform.
http://tallkite.com/hoef/harryoakesepicfail.html This person demanded their money back because I failed to find their cat. Yet they signed a contract which states “There are no refunds and there are no guarantees of success”. Because I refused to give them their refund, they publicly posted their info.
When a search dog tracks to a specific location and stops, there’s a reason the scent ends at a specific location. Either the pet was picked up or is inside a vehicle or home where we stopped. When folks hear of our search efforts, some get nervous. Especially if they are hiding the missing pet. They let it go and the pet follows our scent back to the neighborhood and is found elsewhere. In an area where we didn’t track to. Does this mean I’m scamming folks?
Absolutely NOT.. Again the client is given a contract which spells out what I can and can’t do for them. Another thing to remember is SAR Dogs don’t know how to lie. This is why I ask the clients to go along with me on the search so they can see for themselves what we are doing and how we are conducting the search.
http://www.lewistalk.com/2019/02/10/finding-the-lost-search-and-rescue-expert-harry-oakes/
this is a positive review regarding my work and skills.
https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/longview/profile/rescue-equipment/international-k-9-search-rescue-services-1296-22019947 Better Business Bureau positive review.
https://tdn.com/business/local/checkered-past-follows-searchThis was a one sided smear attempt by the local sheriff in Cowlitz County to denounce my work. Yet what he forgot to say was how Cowlitz County had not only used me successfully in prior cases, but also hired me and paid me to teach their own SAR teams rope rescue. (it’s a shame that this sheriff and his SAR folks Art Jordon wasn’t honest with their statements). At no time in my 49 years of SAR work have I ever showed up to a search uninvited. Being a former SAR Coordinator for the sheriff’s office, I know all to well what I’m allowed to do and not allowed to do and I follow the letter of the law.
http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=8432.305;wap2 Kyron Horman search. I just found this review and found it very interesting that Kyron’s birth mom was “Bad mouthing me and my efforts to search for her son”.
Even though I donated hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars of my own money. Yet even today she still refuses to give me a scent article for me to do my job. Kaine Kyron’s father refused to allow me on his property to search for his son, even though three of our experienced SAR Dogs alerted to a dead body with scent being carried from his property to us on the perimeter. All witnessed and photographed by volunteers.
Who is hiding what here? Certainly not me. Did I finally get frustrated after years of trying to help them and publicly state I’m no longer going to donate my time and efforts”? Yes. What business who charges for their work, is going to keep performing a professional task, when the client not only refuses to pay any money to help us help them, but refuses to allow us on their property or give us a scent article.?
It doesn’t make good business sense to continue wasting time and money. Note: If you review my search success record regarding missing children, with parents how gave me a scent article and allowed me to search their properties for the missing child, I am sitting at a 99% accuracy rate.
https://www.theskanner.com/news/northwest/10110-how-missing-child-exploiters-prey-on-families-in-pain-part-1-2011-04-08this was a positive review done by the Klaas and other folks.
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/here-be-monsters/hbm092-carry-the-scentThe author of this article claims I was DEBUNKED” when talking about SAR and scammers. Yet doesn’t show any evidence to support their statement. A very poorly written article.
NASAR National Association for Search and Rescue.
While I was volunteering as a successful K9 SAR Coordinator and handler for Mountain Wilderness Search dogs, in 1989, I was approached both by NASAR and FEMA along with several other successful folks in K9 SAR. We were asked to help write basic K9 SAR Standards for testing and working in the field of SAR. I helped write SAR Standards for both NASAR and FEMA.
But after they accepted our standards, when we asked NASAR and FEMA for their teams to come in and test our teams, we found them to be not so forth coming. It seemed like they were now the “Good old boy” system where if they liked you and you got a long with everyone else (the sheriff’s and other SAR teams) they would help you. Yet if you stepped on other folk’s toes, (Which we do every time we find a dead person in someone else’s jurisdiction after the failed to find them) This pisses them off, makes them look bad”. We got absolutely nothing back and in fact quit supporting both NASAR and FEMA.
So NASAR needs to remember two things. When you’re pointing a finger at someone three more are pointing right back at you. And, if you look at how many folks nationwide have pulled completely away from both NASAR and FEMA and started their own private disaster response teams, it shows that NASAR is no longer respected by the K9 SAR community.
Well I could go on boring you with more stats and information but I’ve said enough to show you that there are two sides to every story.
Here’s the facts:
If I was a Fraud or scammer I would have been shut down years ago after the DOJ and IRS audit. In fact, their investigation proved I’m neither a scammer or fraud.
Fact: I’ve never seen any of the folks in the sheriff’s office or who have bad mouthed me, working by my side in any of the 14,014 cases I’ve worked over the years.
I’ve never seen them pay their own money and donate their time working disasters around the world. Yet, if you do your research, you’ll see I’ve been there and documented successful in my efforts around the world.
(Example People magazine article on my work in Honduras after hurricane mitch struck). Also documented numerous articles on my work in the Oklahoma City Bombing and both of the Turkey earthquakes.
Fact: I donated over $47,805.00 dollars in SAR efforts just for the 2020 year working over 419 Sar calls. If I was in this for just the money, I wouldn’t have donated one single cent or effort. In fact I donated twice the amount of money than what I actually made in 2020.
I’m successful because I have the 49 years of SAR experience and 35 years of K9 SAR experience and I care about people and pets. I treat everyone with the same respect and care as I would want to be treated.
Enough said. Do your own research.
Respectfully
Mr. Harry E. Oakes Jr.
K9 SAR Coordinator.
www.k9sardog.com
