Val was born on January 24, 1998. He started out his professional life with Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, California, but the group thought Val had too much drive to be an assistance dog, and donated him to the Search Dog Foundation (SDF). “He had too much drive to go after a tennis ball,” said Marc, laughing.
Val went directly to Sundowners Kennel, SDF’s training facility, for formal training. Lead Trainer Pluis Davern found him to be a very polite and mild-mannered dog. His drive and pleasant nature made him easy to train as a Search Dog. At the end of this training, Val was partnered with Marc Valentine, a Captain with Montebello Fire Department. It’s been an inspired match. Marc’s easy-going, soft-spoken personality blended very well with Val’s disposition.
Within 10 months, Val and Marc attained Advanced Certification from FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), the highest certification level recognized in this country. After achieving this, they joined the Orange County Task Force 5 (CA-TF5).
Val and Marc went on numerous deployments, and in 2005 were deployed to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “We were far from our homes and families, working 12 hours a day, and trudging through some of the most bleak and devastating scenes you could imagine,” Valentine said about his 28-day experience in Louisiana. “At night, firefighters would come back to our camp and we would have our dogs out for the guys to pet and share stories about their pets. The time together gave firefighters a sense of normalcy despite the surroundings. The dogs felt like home,” he said.
In the La Conchita mudslide of 2005, Val surprised Marc and found the remains of a mother and three children under a pile, even though he is only trained to locate survivors. Because of their bond and experience working together, Marc was able to recognize Val’s change in body language as he indicated where the family was. The find gave closure to 20 family members who were hanging around the incident, and waiting for more than two days to find their missing loved ones, Marc said.
As Val neared his retirement, Marc began training with Rico, a Black Lab, and the new team achieved their FEMA Certification in October 2010. When Rico earned his FEMA Certification, Val stepped down as top dog. Not surprisingly, Val had slowed down a bit, and shortly after was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder controlled by medications.
Nonetheless, Marc continued to keep Val with him at the firehouse, where he works 24- or 48-hour shifts. “Val came to work with me always,” Marc said. “He was as much of this department as anyone else.” At home, Val lived with Valentine’s six other dogs, his wife, and two children.
Sadly, on July 11, 2012, with Val having more and more difficulty eating and drinking, Marc had to make the heart-wrenching decision to let him go. After 13 years together, Marc said goodbye to his canine partner as Val crossed the Rainbow Bridge in Marc’s arms.
“Val was my best friend. It’s going to be up to Rico now,” Valentine said, petting Rico. “These dogs are the best thing that ever happened to my career.”
Over their 10-year career, Marc and Val deployed a grand total of 11 times:
June 2001
Val and Marc were deployed to a building collapse in Los Angeles.
June 2002
Val and Marc responded to a building explosion in Encino, California.
June 2003
After a train derailment in the City of Commerce, California, Val and Marc responded to assist in the search for injured survivors.
January 2005
Val and Marc were deployed to help with rescue efforts after a deadly mudslide in La Conchita, California.
June 2005
Val and Marc assisted at yet another mudslide in Laguna Beach, California.
August and September 2005
Val and Marc deployed to help with rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
November 2007
Val and Marc responded to a building collapse in Cypress, California.
February 2008
Val and Marc were deployed to a mudslide in Modjeska Canyon in Orange County, California.
August 2008
Val and Marc responded, with 14 other SDF teams, to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, originally deploying to Gonzales, Louisiana for Hurricane Gustav and later staging in Houston, Texas, before helping search in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas.
September 2009
Val and Marc deployed to a truck crash in Monterey Park, California for the last deployment of their career together as a Canine Disaster Search Team.