Video: KARE 11. Read KARE 11’s report.
Justin Gehrman is working to raise $35,000 for a utility terrain vehicle for the Minnesota Search and Rescue Dog Association, a volunteer organization whose teams include a familiar name in Wayzata: K-9 Loki.
On his GiveMN fundraising page, Gehrman identifies himself as a high school junior who has volunteered with MinnSARDA since 2021. He helps train search dogs by playing the role of a missing person.
A vehicle to help search teams reach farther
Gehrman writes that his interest began after his family’s elderly dog went missing in 2020. A search team from Nebraska helped look for the dog, who returned safely after 16 days. That experience inspired him to volunteer.
The proposed UTV would carry dogs, volunteers and supplies across rough terrain. Transporting dogs closer to a search area would help conserve their energy, according to the fundraiser. Money raised beyond the $35,000 goal would support training, annual certifications and additional equipment.
Loki’s connection to Wayzata
Wayzata.com covered the retirement recognition for Sgt. Jason Gehrman and Loki in April 2025. The pair helped establish the city’s first K-9 search-and-rescue team and received a Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association innovation award in 2024.
An August 2025 council report noted that Loki continued search-and-rescue work after retirement and had helped locate a missing person in Wabasha County. MinnSARDA’s current team roster lists Jason and K9 Loki as certified in trailing and human-remains detection.
How to learn more and help
MinnSARDA says it has served Minnesota since 1981 and provides trained dog-and-handler teams at no charge to requesting public safety agencies. Its teams search for missing people, not lost pets, and do not deploy at the request of private citizens.
Donations to “Ride to the Rescue: Fund our Search and Rescue UTV” support MinnSARDA. The campaign page provides the latest fundraising total.
