Originally named “Happy,” this cheerful mutt indeed made the search game look like pure joy! He was discovered at the Western Hills Humane Society in Spearfish, SD, by Kellee Matthews of the South Dakota Canine Center in Sturgis. Kellee was visiting the kennel that day because she had been alerted to another dog that might be good search dog material. She determined that the dog did not have what we were looking for, when a bobbing white head at another kennel door caught her eye.
Kellee observed him for a moment and then contacted SDF to share his adoption story with us, “I took a minute to read his kennel card – POLICE IMPOUND – I laughed and asked the gal what this meant, ‘what did this dog do??’ He was a stray that a local officer picked up, and no owner claimed. I asked her if I could take him out into the play yard. He was still not on my radar as a potential candidate, but I just wanted to get him out for a bit since he seemed so anxious to interact. I stepped into his run and picked up a couple of toys that were on his bed. He latched onto the rope toy, and I had to drag him outside with it. Light bulb!!! I ran him through a test and adopted him then and there!”
Kellee brought Happy back to her kennel, and he seemed a bit awkward and inexperienced at interacting with other dogs, but it only took a short time for him to warm up and begin gleefully playing with others.
Over the next few days Kellee discovered Happy’s hidden talent for acrobatics. He could spring straight up about 4 feet and land with paws on opposing surfaces, and once he arrived at SDF’s training center in Santa Paula, CA, we too witnessed this dog’s amazing ability to bounce off walls and cling to a fence, suspended in midair and waiting for some action. SDF trainers affectionately nicknamed him “Spidey Paws” after the popular Spiderman series.
His enthusiasm and sweet nature made working with him a lot of fun and, as Kellee predicted, he was a terrific search dog candidate. He was re-named “Ollie” in honor of generous SDF supporter, Gaile Russ.
On April 1, 2014, Ollie was paired with Firefighter Donovan George of Orange County Fire Authority and California Task Force 5. They were warmly welcomed home and began training daily in preparation for their FEMA Certification, which they achieved first in February 2015 and then again in January 2018.
Since that initial Certification, Ollie and Donovan deployed three times during their careers:
- April 28, 2017 – Missing Person Search – Irvine, CA
- September 2017 – Hurricane Irma – Florida
- January 9, 2018 – Mudslide – Montecito, CA
We are so grateful that these two were able to respond when needed to help locate missing citizens in their darkest hours! It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and hundreds of hours of training to get a search team to the level where they are able to deploy on missions like the ones listed above.
On June 30, 2021, Ollie and Donovan officially retired from California Task Force 5. Ollie continued to live in the George home as a beloved pet and family member. Donovan would regularly report back that Ollie was happy and healthy and living his best life. He remained an energetic athlete with incredible acrobatic skills for many years, which he put to use when playing with the kids and on hiking trails.
In 2025, Ollie was diagnosed with cancer and the George family loved on him until he passed away on October 10th. They wrapped him in an American flag and wished their friend and brother a fond farewell. Ollie was a very special dog and will be missed by all who knew him.
Ollie’s life and service will be honored at SDF’s Canine memorial Wall so that he can be remembered for many years to come.