Leila began her life as a candidate for Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar, CA, where she was learning to be a companion dog to the blind and visually impaired. Staff there soon realized that her incredible toy drive and endless energy would be better put to use in another career, and little Leila went to live with puppy raiser Laura Brennan while she grew to be old enough to enter SDF’s training program.
In July of 2009, Leila began her basic coaching with then-SDF trainer Kellee Matthews. Following her time with Kellee, Leila was transferred to SDF’s search dog training program at Sundowners Kennels in Gilroy, CA.
By June of 2010, Leila was paired with Sacramento Metro Fire Department firefighter Kyle Thomas, and immediately following graduation, began living with Kyle and his family in Sacramento, CA. In addition to being Kyle’s first Search Dog, Leila was also Kyle’s first dog ever! Kyle was very excited to have such a stellar dog, and was very focused on becoming Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Certified as soon as possible. Demonstration of their live find search skills and achieving their FEMA Certification made Kyle and Leila eligible to deploy as members of California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7).
Kyle’s biggest problem with Leila was keeping all of her admirers at bay. “Everywhere I take her, everyone wants to pet her and says what a beautiful dog she is,” Kyle told us once. “I put her in a down-stay while I moved her crate from the car into the house, and in just 60 seconds she had melted the heart of a neighbor child who gave Leila her sandwich.” Of course, Leila was still in her down-stay when Kyle found her enjoying her snack. “Her obedience is great,” said Kyle.
The team worked daily to prepare for FEMA Certification and in January of 2012, they passed the test in Irvine, CA, enabling them to deploy to disasters nationwide whenever the need should arise.
When fatal mudslides devastated communities in Oso, WA, there were many Search Dogs on scene hoping to bring survivors to safety. Though not called in to help immediately, the Sacramento Task Force was requested to assist with recovery efforts on April 2, 2014. Kyle and Leila, up on rotation with several teammates, deployed to Washington State to help. Leila did not have the opportunity to search but she stood by, ready to lend a paw as needed.
The two continued to train weekly with their teammates in order to be ever-ready for the call to action. Leila was officially retired from CA-TF7 on June 30, 2015. She spent her retirement years as a pet in the Thomas home, enjoying their continued love and support.
Shortly after her eleventh birthday, Leila crossed the Rainbow Bridge following a complicated cancer diagnosis. Kyle buried Leila in one of her favorite spots, one she can enjoy for eternity. At SDF, we will honor Leila as we do all our four-legged heroes who serve the nation – at our Canine Memorial Wall – so that her service will never be forgotten.
Thank you, Leila, we will miss you.