Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 1 (Los Angeles)
Agency: Los Angeles Fire
Level: Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Lab
Sex: Male
Born: March 19, 2021
Ruger was raised since puppyhood by an elderly owner who realized she could no longer keep up with his high energy. Instead of surrendering him to an animal shelter, she placed him for adoption in a local paper, where SDF recruiters discovered him. Upon evaluation, recruiters determined Ruger possessed the traits we look for in a potential search dog, and Ruger came to SDF to begin training.
Once he started the search program, there was no question that Ruger had found his calling. He’s a natural on the rubble and has a fantastic extended bark alert. Ruger brings 110% every time he’s sent to search, and his determination is unmatched. He takes his job so seriously that when he went on a field trip to a local park, he wanted to bark and search for people there too! Ruger’s intensity and work ethic make him a beast of a search dog, but he’s still a big softy with an adorable face in his downtime.
On June 3, 2023, Ruger was partnered with Mark Stevenson of Los Angeles Fire Department and California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1). Together, they trained with their task force teammates regularly and achieved FEMA certification in November 2023. Ruger and Mark are now eligible to deploy with CA-TF1 when disasters strike!