About Us
Debbie Farmer, President of Interquest Detection Canines, started in the field of canine scent detection in 1979. She worked for Security Associates International in Houston, Texas – the first private sector company to provide Detection Canine Services to school districts. She rose through the ranks from handler to Manager of the Canine Services Department over her 9 years there.
In 1988 she created Interquest Group, Inc with Mike Ferdinand and expanded service to the entire state of Texas. With that success, it quickly became apparent that there was a greater need than one office could provide so Interquest began franchising their program nationwide. Initiated in 1999, thirty eight offices were established, making Interquest Detection Canines the largest provider of Detection Canines Services.
In 2021 Debbie implemented Interquest CARES, a Comfort Dog Program, to support the mental health concerns plaguing students and staff in school districts. The program was immediately successful, and 20 dogs were placed in the first 4 years. As word continues to spread about the smiles the dogs create daily – the demand for comfort dogs is quickly growing.
Debbie remains actively involved in the day-to-day operations of offices in Texas and California and supports the ongoing efforts of the franchise base. She oversees the corporate dog training program and remains passionate about ensuring the success of every team in the company. She is often asked when she is going to retire after 47 years of working with detection dogs but currently is too busy enjoying work to think about it much!