We were thrilled to welcome friends, family, supporters, and staff to our campus earlier this month to help us celebrate the latest additions to our search team roster. Three California first responders were welcomed to the SDF roster with their new canine partners as America’s newest search teams, officially paired
on September 23, 2023.
We are incredibly proud of these handlers for their accomplishments and pleased to introduce them as the latest members of our country’s disaster response.
Congratulations!
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 3
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 7
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:
- Trevor Lawrence for sending us Otter.
- Maria Hindenes and the Hindenes Animal Trust for sponsoring Otter.
- Kaiser K9 for donating Sassy.
- The Joel and Dena Gambord Family for sponsoring Sassy.
- Clackamas County Animal Shelter in Clackamas, Oregon, for sending us Scotty.
- Angel Flight West and volunteer pilots Mike Gennis, Michael Kennedy, and Andrew King for transporting Otter and Scotty.
- The Mauck Family for sponsoring and naming Scotty in loving memory of Scott Mauck.
- The Nahikian Family Foundation for sponsoring Scotty.
- An anonymous donor for sponsoring Scotty.
