On March 4, 2023, our training team officially passed the leashes of four incredible search dog graduates to their new handlers. Friends, family, and SDF staff gathered to celebrate these teams and the hard work and dedication that got them to this moment and the beginning of their careers in service to the nation.
Thanks to you and your support, we are proud to introduce you to the two newest search teams to join our roster:
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 8
NEBRASKA TASK FORCE 1
Samantha Wilkins & Archie (Lincoln Fire-Rescue)
Watch our Search Team Pairing Ceremony video here!
Now, they join the ranks of two- and four-legged heroes across the country who are ready to search for survivors in the aftermath of a disaster. In the next year, each handler and search dog will work together every day, honing their skills, growing their incredible bond, and preparing for certification to make them deployable with their fire departments and task forces.
And we have YOU to thank for helping to make it all “paws-ible.”
You have been with us every step of the way as our dedicated community, joining forces with us to help animals and humans in their time of greatest need.
Thank you to the following folks for helping us form these pairings:
- Angel Flight West for transporting Nellie.
- Kaiser K9 for donating Hugo.
- Four-Legged Kids Bus for transporting Hugo.
- Patricia Snyder & Denise Viets for sponsoring Hugo.
- Next Step Service Dogs for sending us Archie.
- Four-Legged Kids Bus for transporting Archie.
- Lynn Ann Casey for sponsoring Archie.
- Sioux Falls Area Humane Society & South Dakota Canine Center for sending us Dempsey.
- The Joel and Dena Gambord Family for sponsoring Dempsey.
