Search Teams

Our Search Teams

California Regional Task Force 7 (CA-RTF7) Ventura County

California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1) Los Angeles City

California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) Los Angeles County

California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) Bay Area

California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4) Oakland

California Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) Orange County

California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7) Sacramento

California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8) San Diego

Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)

New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2)

Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OK-TF1)

Tijuana Task Force 1 (TIJ-TF1)

Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)

Ziggy & Cory Teng

Ziggy & Cory Teng

 

Team Info

 

Task Force: California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8)
Agency: San Diego Fire-Rescue
Level: In training to certify

 

 

Search Dog Info

 

Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier-American Staffordshire Terrier Mix
Sex: Male
Born: May 30, 2023
Recruited from Humane Rescue Alliance
Sponsor: Lenny & Squiggy

 

 

Ziggy’s journey to the Search Dog Foundation began at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C., where he was initially adopted as a puppy. Sometime later, he found himself back at the shelter as a stray, with his adopters nowhere to be found. Recognizing his boundless energy, an observant shelter staff member reached out to a friend with Virginia Task Force 1 to evaluate Ziggy for urban search and rescue. The task force helpers had a blast testing the energetic pup at their training site, watching him confidently explore the rubble pile and eagerly engage in a game of tug with anyone willing to play. Sensing his incredible potential, they helped coordinate his journey to our National Training Center in Santa Paula to begin a new chapter. 

 

Upon his arrival, Ziggy hit the campus like a freight train ready for action! This little brindle boy possessed an intensity for his toy like nothing else, prompting trainers to focus on teaching him the rules of structured play to balance his immense drive with thoughtful self-control. Over the months, Ziggy made massive strides in his search training, tackling large barrel fields, proofing his alert, and maintaining perfect focus while searching past food, toy, and noise distractions. He impressed the training staff during his first official rubble searches, racing around the pile with confidence. We have had a blast watching this little powerhouse progress through our program and are immensely proud of his accomplishments. 

 

Ziggy’s human counterpart, Corey Teng, knew he wanted to be a firefighter from the time he was just six years old. As a kid, it seemed like the ultimate job doing everything your mom told you not to do: drive fast, make noise, play with fire, and use power tools! As he grew older, that childhood excitement matured into a deep desire to serve his community and a profound appreciation for the privilege of working alongside his second family at the fire station. 

 

Corey’s interest in the canine program was sparked by working closely with search handlers throughout most of his career. He deeply admired the ultimate bond of trust and partnership shared between a handler and their dog. Corey first learned about SDF nearly a decade ago while working alongside SDF veteran handler Joe Zakar. Later, he spent four years working with Captain Zakar and his canine partner, Dora, which deepened his reverence for SDF’s mission. He knew that becoming a canine handler would allow him to combine his lifelong love of dogs with his desire to serve wherever disaster strikes, with the ultimate goal of helping reunite families with their loved ones. 

 

When Corey first met Ziggy, his initial impression was that the dog looked like a super buff, intense powerhouse who somehow managed to look happy at the same time. He quickly realized that Ziggy is the definition of “never judge a book by its cover”—underneath that fierce work ethic, he is “a total cuddle bug and one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet.” 

 

Corey says the turning point for their partnership came during one rubble search when he finally stopped overthinking every minor detail and let everything flow. In that moment, Corey and Ziggy moved almost in perfect unison, and everything felt right. Corey saw so much of himself in Ziggy’s personality that, in many ways, it felt like looking at a mirror image. 

 

Corey and Ziggy were officially paired on July 18, 2026. As they begin their career together, their short-term goals are to continue learning each other’s body language, stay consistent in their training, complete their Canine Search Specialist courses, and achieve their official certifications. Long-term, Corey looks forward to attending advanced training courses across the country, deploying whenever they are called upon, giving back to SDF, and ensuring Ziggy lives his absolute best, happiest, and healthiest life.