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. Six first responders from throughout California and Virginia were welcomed to the SDF roster with their new canine partners as America’s newest search teams, officially paired on April 5, 2025.
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 2
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 7
VIRGINIA TASK FORCE 2
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.
Watch our Search Team Pairing Ceremony video here!
Thank you to the following folks for helping us form these pairings:
- Rosanne Crane, Carol A George, and Walter Kalback for sponsoring Webber
- Tracy Tempest for sponsoring Joey
- Paul W Kurzeka, Amy McMullen, and Linda Heizer Seaman for sponsoring Toby
- Thrive Animal Rescue for sending us Batman
- Theresa McConville and Calleen Pardinas for sponsoring Batman
- Bitter Root Humane Association for sending us Ruffles
- Julie Croker for sponsoring Ruffles
- Save A Stray Rescue for sending us Red
- The Corwin D. Denney Foundation, M. Lawrence Lallande SR, and Megan Schmid for sponsoring Red
- Four-Legged Kids Bus for transporting Webber, Ruffles, and Red
- Angel Flight West volunteers for transporting Joey and Toby
