Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8)
Level: FEMA Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Lab
Sex: Female
Born: July 1, 2020
Nellie was given to her previous owner when Nellie was only nine weeks old. With a background in training service dogs, Nellie’s owner worked diligently on teaching her basic commands and discovered she was a fast learner. Her toy drive and overall energy also increased at a rapid pace, to the point the owner realized Nellie might be destined for bigger things! After doing some research, Nellie’s owner learned about SDF and contacted our recruitment team. Nellie was evaluated and determined to be potential search dog material!
On arrival at SDF’s National Training Center, Nellie already possessed a lot of impulse control thanks to her previous training, but search dogs need boldness as well as manners, so trainers focused on bringing out Nellie’s pushy side. She quickly picked up the bark alert and enjoyed offering multiple barks right into the mousehole of the barrel! When Nellie searches rubble, though, that’s when she really shines. She has a beautiful hunt and gracefully traverses the rubble, making this skill look fun and easy.
The rate at which Nellie mastered new skills continually impressed her trainers, and we’re all excited about the promise this little spitfire will bring to our nation’s disaster response. Nellie graduated search training and was paired with Paul Reyes of California Task Force 8 on March 4, 2023.
Paul Reyes wanted to be a canine handler in the military or law enforcement ever since he was a child and discovered that working with dogs could be a career. Upon joining California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8), he learned about their canine team and SDF from other handlers and decided to apply to become a Canine Search Specialist.
The journey to becoming a canine handler was eye-opening for Paul. He is constantly amazed by the dogs’ abilities and by how much there is to learn but knowing that SDF monitored both dogs and handlers as they worked together gave him the confidence that he would end up with his ideal canine partner. He knew that partner was Nellie at the end of one of his training days when she finally shifted her focus from work and happily jumped on Paul, tail wagging. Nellie fit right in at home with the resident pet dog and Paul’s family members.
Paul and Nellie worked hard to prepare for a certification evaluation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Putting in lots of hours and with plenty of help from their CA-TF8 teammates, the team achieved FEMA certification in November 2023. The twosome are now eligible to deploy within their local community, as well as nationwide with their task force, as needed.