Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2)
Agency: Los Angeles County Fire Department
Level: In training to certify
Search Dog Info
Breed: Black Lab
Sex: Male
Born: May 20, 2021
Recruited from Kaiser K9, Inc.
Sponsor: Pat Snyder
Hawthorne was generously donated to SDF by Kaiser K9, and trainers say this little guy was a blast to work with from day one! He had fun searching for his hidden person, and although he may look serious on the rubble pile, he is quite the goofball and loves running around, chasing his trainers, and playing with his fellow “classmates” in playgroup.
Hawthorne loved his training and soon completed all his foundation skills, such as off-lead heeling, the long wait, direction control, and agility.
Hawthorne is as polished as they come. Even when challenged with difficult search problems, this sweet boy doesn’t miss a beat! Hawthorne has an intense desire to work, and we are excited to watch as he progresses in his career with Alexis Miller of Los Angeles County Fire Department and California Task Force 2, whom he was paired with on March 30, 2024.
Alexis has worked as a firefighter paramedic at Los Angeles County Fire for the last seven years. She was inspired to become a first responder after visiting her mentor, a Fire Captain, at his station and seeing his crew in action. She accompanied them on ride-alongs and observed that they acted more like a team than like coworkers. She was also attracted to the quick thinking and problem-solving required when you don’t know what call you will get from one day to the next.
While on probation with the fire department, Alexis encountered a captain with a disaster search canine and was delighted to discover it was possible to have a search dog as a rescue partner. Alexis knew she wanted to become a canine handler with a search dog partner of her own one day. She began practicing with handlers on her task force and heard about SDF from other handlers with canine partners.
When Alexis met Hawthorne, her first impression was that he was one happy dog. “He is as social as dogs come. He loves other dogs and loves meeting new people.” She says she knew Hawthorne was going to be the best partner for her the first moment they met. “I felt it from the first moment I trained with him. He had this energy that was just warm and, playful and sweet. He made me feel comfortable from the get-go.”
Alexis says her house feels complete now that Hawthorne is home with her. “He is always by my side with his big brown eyes looking up at me, ready to take on whatever the day holds for us. We’ll go hiking, and even though he can fly up the mountain, he’ll never take off far ahead of me. He’s always checking to see if I’m okay while making sure the trail ahead is safe for us. He is definitely a rescuer at heart.”
The next step for Alexis and Hawthorne is to train together to get their FEMA certification so they are ready to deploy anywhere they are needed. Alexis says her future with Hawthorne is full of promise. “I envision Hawthorne and I becoming a strong team that really knows how to communicate and work together well. I see us helping out on many deployments and going on lots of adventures together. And, of course, tons of cuddle time!”