Dr. Erin Perry is an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University with more than 16 years of experience with working canines.  Her research focuses on bringing practical solutions to the challenges encountered by working canines on deployment including gastrointestinal upset as a result of stress and improvements to current decontamination methods.

Dr. Perry has certified multiple canines for Missouri Task Force One and also works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Canine Evaluator and Canine Instructor. 

Her published work includes investigations into the impacts of travel stress on working canines, a comprehensive review on canine olfaction.  Dr. Perry is a leading world expert in the field of working canine decontamination with several published studies on procedures, techniques, and issues related to working canine field hygiene.  Dr. Perry and Dr. Jenkins authored an article on canine olfaction which has been downloaded more than 75,000 times.

Dr. Perry has deployed with her canine partners to numerous disasters including Hurricanes: Katrina, Sandy, Matthew, Harvey, Florence, Ian, and the Joplin Missouri Tornado, Colorado Flooding; and without her canine, to the Surfside Condo collapse in Florida, to enhance her knowledge regarding canine decontamination.