Brad was discovered as a stray and taken to the busy East Valley Animal Shelter in Los Angeles. He had been at the shelter for some time, and due to intense overcrowding, could have been in danger. Shelter staff were familiar with SDF’s mission and thought Brad might have potential as a search dog, so they began evaluating him through our screening videos. Based on Brad’s videos, he was invited to our National Training Center for an in-person performance evaluation. Two dedicated shelter volunteers accompanied Brad to our campus, their hearts filled with hope.
SDF trainers had a wonderful time meeting Brad and putting him through the tests to determine if he was a suitable candidate for a search dog; however, Brad made it clear that working as a search dog wasn’t for him. Still, his ability to connect with humans and the enjoyment he got from human interaction demonstrated he had great potential as a service dog. Volunteers took Brad back to the shelter, hopeful that an adopter would soon come forward, but knowing there was a chance no one would.
In the meantime, our SDF team, so touched by Brad’s loving personality, got to work sending photos, videos, and descriptions of Brad through SDF’s career change network, hoping he would be a match for another organization. Within a few days, we had generated some leads, and our canine recruitment team kept the shelter informed of their progress, connecting them with SDF partners who expressed interest in learning more about Brad.
In what seemed like record time, the National Institute of Canine Service and Training (NICST), SDF’s career change partner, sent a volunteer to the shelter to evaluate Brad. To everyone’s delight, they agreed to accept him into their “agency dog” program, which utilizes dogs to provide comfort and support to first responder teams. The shelter accepted SDF’s offer to house Brad until NICST could pick him up, and Brad spent a few fun-filled days engaging in exciting activities and being doted on by the SDF staff.
We are thrilled for Brad as he starts this new chapter, thankful for our Recruitment Partners and their volunteers for working tirelessly to give every dog a chance to live their fullest lives, and for our Career Change Partners who work together with SDF for that same purpose. We can’t wait to hear all about Brad’s successes, and will continue to do our best to help more special pups like Brad get the wonderful lives they deserve.