Search Teams

Our Search Teams

Baja California Task Force 3 (BC-TF3)

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)

Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1)

Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)

Dempsey & Kevin Tatro

Dempsey & Kevin Tatro

Team Info

Task Force: Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)
Level: Certified

 

Search Dog Info

Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Male
Born: April 12, 2019
Recruited from Sioux Falls Area Humane Society
Recruited by the South Dakota Canine Center
Sponsor: The Joel and Dena Gambord Family

 

Dempsey was found wandering as a stray in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, taken to the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, and never claimed by his family. Usually, a handsome yellow Lab would be a no-brainer for adopters, but Dempsey’s massive size and extreme energy were too much to handle for most pet homes. Luckily, SDF recruiters spotted him and recognized Dempsey as a high-drive dog who needed a job. They were right— Dempsey excelled at search, graduated training, and was paired with a handler in April 2022.  

After a few weeks at home with his handler, Dempsey developed a limp. X-rays revealed Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) in his shoulder, a condition in which cartilage breaks off in a joint, causing inflammation and pain. Dempsey’s career had to be put on hold. He returned to our care on April 19 and was placed with an SDF foster as we explored his options.  

In addition to the OCD, further diagnostics uncovered abnormalities in Dempsey’s elbows that could eventually cause arthritis. On July 12, Dempsey had arthroscopic surgery on four of his joints to address these issues. Later, platelet-rich plasma injections were administered to help the cells in Dempsey’s joints regenerate and mend.  

As Dempsey’s incisions healed, we slowly began integrating rehabilitative exercises, including the use of an underwater treadmill. As he gained stamina, he was also eased back into fitness training. Under the expert care of doctors and SDF staff, Dempsey healed spectacularly. At his follow-up appointment, his surgeon was thrilled with Dempsey’s progress and gave him a glowing report: as long as Dempsey is fit and comfortable, there’s no reason he can’t continue his career in search.  

Fully recovered and re-tested on all his foundational elements, Dempsey was paired with Kevin Tatro of Nebraska Taskforce 1 (NE-TF1) on March 4, 2023.  

Kevin Tatro began doing volunteer work helping people and animals in 2000, and happened to meet a SAR K9 handler at an event. That got him thinking about how he could combine his love for animals and helping people by becoming a canine handler himself. He started with a nonprofit group and then joined Iowa and Nebraska task forces. Through his work on the task forces, he met SDF handlers and decided to pursue becoming a canine search specialist.