Just a week after Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida and the Caribbean, Hurricane Maria picked up speed and took aim at the same area. While some Task Forces had demobilized, several remained, sheltering in place so they could quickly help local communities as the storm passed. SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 – …
Following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which saw 26 SDF-trained Search Teams deployed, seven of our teams have now responded to Mexico City following a deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on the morning of September 19. SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 – 11:30 AM LOCAL TIME As the rescue work continues …
Team Info Task Force: Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OKC) Agency: Oklahoma City Fire Level: SUSAR Type I Certified Most Recent Certification: May 27, 2016 Search Dog Info Breed: Black Lab Mix Sex: Male Born: March 26, 2008 Crossed Rainbow Bridge: September 9, 2017 Recruited from: Humane Society of Del Norte – Crescent City, CA Recruited by: Laura Rathe …
On the tail of Hurricane Harvey, one of the most devastating storms in our country’s recorded history, comes Hurricane Irma. News reports state that should Irma continue on her current path as expected, this will be the fourth Category 5 hurricane to hit US soil. Irma has hit the Dominican …
On September 1, SDF’s training team passed the leashes of five Search Dogs to their brand new Firefighter-Handlers: Brandon Andersen & Winnie (California Task Force 5 – Orange County), Jeff Hanlon & Willy (Oklahoma Task Force 1 – Oklahoma City), Mike Toepfer & Deacon (California Task Force 2 – Los …
AUGUST 31, 2017 – 10 PM LOCAL TIME With meteorologists calling Harvey the worst natural disaster in American history, an additional SDF-trained Canine Disaster Search Team was added to the national roster of those responding to this storm. Search Team Wade Haller & Rex, with California Task Force 5 (based …
On June 20 and 21, SDF welcomed Dr. Erin Perry and her team to the NTC to conduct Working Canine Research for Southern Illinois University. Dr. Perry is testing a new canine decontamination (DECON) process for handlers to use after searching each day on deployment. Dr. Perry’s study seeks to …
We are so excited to bring you closer than ever before to the action in this summer’s Bark Alert! From our newest initiative with The Rachael Ray Foundation to our first-ever Deployment Simulation at the National Training Center (NTC), we are thrilled to share these latest and greatest Search Dog stories and in-depth, behind-the-scenes features on the work that YOU make possible through your generous support!
Meet two of our canine candidates in training: Deacon and Frisco! DEACON Deacon was privately donated to SDF and he arrived at our National Training Center (NTC) in Santa Paula, California on December 26, 2016. What a present Deacon has turned out to be! The young Black Labrador is as …
With a background like his, it was only a matter of time before Jason Geary would become a Search Dog Handler. It seemed that Jason Geary and Marsi the Yellow Lab were destined to be a team. So much so that Jason recalled how quickly Marsi took to him when …
