Founded in 2017 by Mike and Jessica Kempel, Up River Retrievers started with a love for hunting dogs and the outdoors. Over the years, that passion grew into training high-performance hunting and field trial retrievers and eventually into preparing single-purpose K9s for law enforcement agencies.

Mike, a dedicated law enforcement officer, brings real-world operational experience and high standards to every dog trained. Jessica supports the business while working for a local company from home, helping manage daily operations and ensuring every client and dog receives personal attention.

We are a family-run operation, proud parents to our two daughters, Delaney and Melanie, who are growing up around the same passion and respect for working dogs that built this company. Our logo is especially meaningful to us as it is inspired by our black Labrador Scout, who sparked the journey that became Up River Retrievers. 

As we open this new chapter, our boarding services will operate under Up River Kennels. This addition allows us to welcome more families and their dogs into our facility, providing a safe, structured and caring environment while you're away.