As an accomplished escape artist, Elvis was notorious in his previous family’s neighborhood. After a neighbor threatened to shoot the wandering Chocolate Lab, Elvis’ family decided they had to give him up. Elvis arrived at Santa Barbara Animal Care and Control in Santa Maria, CA in April of 2008 and …
Callie was born in November of 2004. She was one of many pups born to Meri Forman’s Juniper Ridge Labradors. Meri, Guide Dogs of America’s (GDA) Breeding Manager since 1994, has been raising Labs personally and professionally for over 20 years. Meri was aware of SDF for some time because …
In late 2005, after receiving a letter from SDF volunteer Jeff Pepper introducing SDF to Homeward Bound Rescue and Sanctuary, their staff and volunteers kept a look out for canines with Search Dog potential. Weeks earlier, a Golden Retriever that Homeward Bound named Baxter was found wandering the streets of …
Joey and Amber Garza had bought “Little Anne” for bird-hunting and as a family pet, but this fireball soon became too energetic for their lifestyle. When Joey’s work schedule changed, they decided she needed a new home. Joey found SDF online and called the office to talk to then-Canine Manager Karen …
Merlin had been discovered in Northern California in late 2014, wandering the streets near the Oakland Coliseum. He was picked up as a stray and taken to the Oakland Animal Services shelter. No one ever came to claim him and he was not doing well at the shelter. He failed …
In February of 2012, Sacramento City firefighter and SDF handler Jeff Ivy contacted our office to notify us that he had a dog he felt would be great for urban disaster search and rescue work. Having been paired with his own Search Dog, Jakers, in 2006, Jeff knows exactly what …
In June of 2011, SDF trainer Kellee Matthews was contacted by Guide Dogs of America (GDA) in Sylmar, CA, about several dogs from a litter that they felt were possible candidates for our urban disaster canine training program. GDA trains companion canines for the blind and visually impaired. Occasionally, they …
Called “Oscar” at the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society in South Dakota where he was discovered by Tim and Kellee Matthews of the South Dakota Canine Center in late 2012, Decker had already spent nearly seven months in the shelter in the hopes of finding a forever home. Because Decker …
In October 2016, Blake was picked up as a stray by Jackson County Animal Care & Control Center in Phoenix, Oregon. Two weeks after his arrival, SDF Canine Recruiter Kirsten Fulk visited the shelter, seeking high-energy dogs to evaluate for SDF. She did not see any on the main adoption …
