Everyone who has ever met Rico has seen his tremendous potential and had great expectations for this playful Black Labrador. Originally named Recon, he was born into the Guide Dogs of America (GDA) program on December 8, 2006. By the end of 2007, it had been decided that while Recon …
In February 2018, SDF Head Trainer Sonja Heritage traveled to San Diego to work with Veteran and new Search Teams as part of SDF’s Field Rep program. “It was a really productive trip,” shared Sonja, who worked with several of our Search Teams from California Task Force 8. SDF Search …
Ellen and Tom Paiva, owners of Broken Arrow Dog Training and long-time SDF volunteers, rescued Jerry in September 2007. The first time Ellen met him she saw past his chunky exterior, recognizing his special “Search Dog spark” and his need to have a job! “When we turned him out, it …
Meet two of our canine candidates in training: Flyer and Luka! FLYER Flyer is a rescued Border Collie mix that always appears to be smiling and happy to work– her one floppy ear emphasizes her spunky character. Flyer came to us through Haven Humane Society in Redding, CA after animal …
With friends and family cheering them on, four new Canine Disaster Search Teams joined the elite roster of urban search and rescue responders at the Search Dog Foundation’s (SDF) National Training Center on Friday, February 2, 2018. These new teams will follow in the foot and paw prints of generations …
Congratulations to all of the Canine Disaster Search Teams who achieved FEMA Certification on January 20th and 21st, including 10 SDF-trained teams! Despite cold and windy conditions, SDF Head Trainer Sonja Heritage and Program Administrator Kate Horwick were at Del Valle Training Center in Castaic, CA, to support SDF’s Search …
Tanker came to the Search Dog Foundation in an unusual way. Formerly known as “Tank,” this beautiful Lab was donated to the Search Dog Foundation by his previous Handler, Adam Cooper, of Colorado Task Force 1, in the fall of 2011. Adam and Tanker had not yet certified together and …
FINAL UPDATE – THE SEARCH DOGS ARE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 – 1:00 PM When we evacuated from our National Training Center (NTC) campus on the night of December 4, we weren’t sure if we would have a home to come back to after the devastating Thomas …
Bonnie and her sister Clyde, purebred Labrador Retrievers, were born on October 12, 2003. Although they were littermates, their personalities couldn’t have been more different. Clyde responded to training, but Bonnie’s future was on thin ice. Bonnie’s owner, Becky Rutledge, feared that Bonnie might ultimately land in a shelter. Bonnie’s …
On November 3rd, SDF’s training team passed the leashes of four Search Dogs to their brand new Firefighter-Handlers (L to R above): Aide Barbat & Fender (San Diego Fire-Rescue), Clint Schepe & Georgia (Chula Vista Fire), Joe Zakar & Dora (San Diego Fire-Rescue), all with California Task Force 8, and …
