Team Info
Task Force: Virginia Task Force 2
Agency: Virginia Beach Fire Department
Level: In training to certify
Search Dog Info
Breed: Labrador Retriever-Plott Hound Mix
Sex: Male
Born: March 12, 2022
Recruited from Save A Stray Rescue
Sponsors: The Corwin D. Denney Foundation, M. Lawrence Lallande SR, Megan Schmid
Driven by a desire to help others, Shannon Kahre embarked on the path to becoming a first responder. Her interest in canine handling stemmed from recognizing the invaluable asset a canine partner brings to search and rescue efforts – their ability to cover ground and locate individuals far more efficiently than humans alone.
Shannon was first introduced to the Search Dog Foundation in 2022 while training with VA-TF2. SDF handler Karen Meadows introduced her to the organization’s impactful work.
During Shannon’s first encounter with Red, she was struck by how much he loves people despite his background as a stray. She says, “I am also amazed to watch him switch from a loving soul eager to meet people and get pets to an incredible search dog that delights in his work.”
Shannon says the first time she worked with Red, he acted a little timid and fearful, but after a few minutes of working on engagement, he started to relax and play with her. He looked happy, and the stress seemed to melt away. That was when she really hoped they could be partners.
Looking ahead, Shannon’s goal is to deepen their bond and continue to learn and grow together. “I am very excited about us getting to know each other further and continue building our bond. I hope we can become as amazing with our work as some of the other SDF teams I have had the pleasure to watch.”
Another cutie found as a stray, Red was placed with the City of Mobile Animal Shelter in Alabama before being transferred to Save a Stray Rescue, also in Alabama. Coincidentally, an SDF canine recruiter was fostering Red and noticed he had an insatiable desire to play with every single toy he found, so she decided to take him out to a rubble pile to see how he would do. Red traversed the rubble like a pro and earned a spot in our program.
Although Red is on the smaller side, he has a “big boy” bark and quickly learned the bark alert. His high drive and love for engagement excited his trainers about his future as a potential USAR canine, and he rewarded their enthusiasm by excelling in search. He quickly progressed to three-barrel and small-barrel field searches, where he had no issue letting us know where the hidden person was with his bellowing bark!
Red loves to work, and he will let you know he is ready with a great big bark and a gleeful leap into the air! Red has the most endearing, goofy personality; his signature move is to weave in and out of his trainer’s legs while getting scratches.
Red is truly a special dog! Trainers adored having this pint-sized pup in our program, and we were thrilled when he found his human partner and was paired with Shannon Kahre of Virginia Task Force 2 on April 5, 2025.