Our Team

Jeremy DeMott is a Fire Lieutenant, training officer, and FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Canine Search Specialist with experience in emergency response, firefighter education, leadership, and operational K9 work. He holds a Master of Business Administration and brings a strong combination of public safety experience, organizational leadership, and program development to the Operational Canine Foundation.

Through his work in urban search and rescue, Jeremy has seen firsthand the vital role working canines play in public safety, disaster response, and emergency operations. His experience working alongside operational K9s has shaped his passion for canine emergency care and reinforced the importance of preparing responders to act quickly when a working dog is injured.

Jeremy is a member of the National Association of Veterinary Emergency Medical Services and serves on the Virginia State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board workgroup focused on creating guidelines for the emergency treatment of fire, police, and search and rescue dogs. This work has strengthened his commitment to responsible, practical, and field-focused education for first responders and public safety agencies.

Jeremy founded the Operational Canine Foundation to help close the gap between injury and veterinary treatment by providing hands-on training for those who serve beside working canines. His goal is to ensure first responders, handlers, tactical teams, search and rescue personnel, and public safety agencies have the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to provide lifesaving care in the field.

As Founder, Executive Director, and Lead Instructor, Jeremy helps guide the foundation's mission, course development, partnerships, and training delivery. He is committed to building high-quality, realistic, and mission-focused education that supports operational K9 teams and honors the service and sacrifice of the dogs who protect our communities.

Richard Gray serves as Director of Training and Lead Instructor for the Operational Canine Foundation. He brings a diverse background in fire/EMS, tactical medicine, prehospital education, K9 medical training, and operational public safety response.

Richard began his public safety career after earning his EMT-Intermediate certification in 2011, working in advanced life support private transport and as an Emergency Department Technician at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. He joined Chesapeake Fire as a part-time EMT in 2012 and was hired full-time as a Firefighter/Paramedic in 2014. In 2017, he was selected to serve as a Tactical Paramedic with the Chesapeake Police SWAT Team, where he continues to serve alongside his role in the fire department.

His background also includes experience as a veterinary assistant, which helped shape his understanding of animal care and the importance of emergency medical training for working canines. Richard has assisted with K9 medical course development and implementation for city K9 handlers and SWAT operators, supported trauma-based in-service training, and helped develop TECC/TCCC-based training for tactical and law enforcement personnel.

Richard also works as a pre-deployment medical instructor, teaching austere medicine, TECC/TCCC concepts, and related medical topics to government contractors and specialized personnel. His credentials include Firefighter I & II, Virginia EMT-Paramedic, National Registry Paramedic, ACLS, PALS, TECC, TCCC, K9-TCCC, ATOMS, TEMS Whole Blood, Fire Officer I, Instructor I, and Mass Casualty Instructor, among others.

Through the Operational Canine Foundation, Richard helps lead the development and delivery of hands-on emergency care training for operational K9 teams. He believes that working dogs accept many of the same risks as their human partners and should be met with the same level of preparation, urgency, and lifesaving care when injured in the field.

Kara DeMott serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the Operational Canine Foundation. She is a Physician Assistant and healthcare supervisor who brings experience in medical care, leadership, organization, team oversight, and professional accountability to the foundation.

Through her background in healthcare, Kara understands the importance of accurate education, sound decision-making, and calm leadership in high-pressure environments. Her experience supervising healthcare teams gives her a strong understanding of communication, responsibility, and the need for systems that support both providers and the people they serve.

As Treasurer, Kara helps support the foundation's financial oversight, accountability, and long-term sustainability. She plays an important role in helping ensure the organization remains responsible with its resources and focused on advancing its mission through education, training, and support.

Kara also shares a strong love of canines and a deep appreciation for the bond between working dogs and the people who serve beside them. Her passion for animals and her commitment to service align closely with the foundation's goal of protecting operational K9s through practical, field-focused education.

As part of the board, Kara helps provide leadership, guidance, and stewardship as the Operational Canine Foundation continues to grow. She is committed to supporting programs that better prepare first responders, handlers, public safety agencies, and working canine teams to care for injured operational dogs when it matters most.

Dr. Andrea Deoudes serves as Secretary and Board Member for the Operational Canine Foundation. She is a veterinarian, practice owner, and medical director who brings extensive experience in small animal medicine, emergency care, preventative health, and animal rescue to the foundation.

Dr. Deoudes graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and completed a small animal emergency and rotating internship at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Her professional interests include neurology, emergency medicine, and preventative healthcare.

She is the owner and Medical Director of Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Suffolk, Virginia, and is deeply committed to improving the health and welfare of animals. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Deoudes is passionate about animal rescue and volunteers her time as a medical director and foster for a nonprofit rescue organization.

Through her role with the Operational Canine Foundation, Dr. Deoudes helps provide veterinary insight, board leadership, and mission-focused guidance to support the foundation's work in protecting operational K9s through education, training, and support.

Dr. Allen Yee serves as a Medical Advisor for the Operational Canine Foundation, bringing extensive experience in emergency medicine, EMS medical direction, tactical medicine, and urban search and rescue.

He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services and currently serves as the full-time Operational Medical Director for Chesterfield Fire and EMS. Dr. Yee also holds a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and practices clinically with the VCU Department of Emergency Medicine.

In addition to his clinical and academic work, Dr. Yee provides field care as an EMS Physician and serves as a tactical medicine provider with Chesterfield and the Virginia State Police Division 1. He also serves as a medical team manager for FEMA urban search and rescue operations.

Dr. Yee is active in several national EMS organizations and has contributed to national efforts such as the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines project. Through his role with the Operational Canine Foundation, he provides medical guidance to help ensure the foundation's training, educational materials, and emergency care concepts remain accurate, responsible, and aligned with current best practices.