“It Was All Because of My Dog:” Former Search Dog Lexi and Her Adopter, Lisa, Find Purpose as a Therapy Team

Lexi was found as a stray in Rapid City, South Dakota, and taken to the Humane Society of the Black Hills, where a staff member noted her high energy and love for tennis balls and contacted SDF. Lexi was evaluated and accepted into our search program, where according to trainers, …

Seven SDF-trained search dog teams join rescuers from around the world to assist after deadly earthquake in Türkiye

  Early on Monday morning, February 6, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Türkiye, Syria, and the surrounding region, destroying buildings and leaving a swath of devastation stretching hundreds of miles. One of the strongest quakes ever to hit the region, it produced aftershocks nearly as strong as the initial …

Visiting Agencies Highlight NTC’s Vital Role in Emergency Response Preparedness

    The last few months have seen our National Training Center buzzing with activity as we‘ve hosted several agencies from around the U.S. to drill and train on our campus. These trainings were powerful learning experiences for all teams, and we’re thrilled the NTC can serve as a place …

Seeking Shelter Dogs, Together: SDF shares canine recruitment insights on K9 Conservationists Podcast

SDF's very own Katie Brennan was recently invited to speak with Kayla Fratt, host of the K9 Conservationists podcast, where they discuss, in-depth, one of the most important aspects of our work: sourcing canine recruits for our program. Katie, a certified dog behavior consultant and Canine Recruitment Outreach Manager for …

30 SDF-trained teams achieve certification in 2022!

In 2022, 30 SDF-trained teams achieved certification alongside others from across the country at the Certification Evaluations (CE) in California, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, and Tennessee! This test marks the typical standard of deployment for teams, meaning they can now be activated through their task forces to respond when needed. …

Sniffing Out Disasters Before They Happen: Max Finds His Perfect Career in Explosives Detection 

Max was found as a stray in Weber County, UT, and placed with Weber County Animal Services, where he was adopted and returned due to his high energy. His adopters shared that he was a very nice dog during the brief time Max was with them. He got along great …