No matter what happens, the Search Dog Foundation promises that once rescued, no dog in our program will ever need to be rescued again.
At the Search Dog Foundation, we believe that we can help every dog that enters our program be successful in whatever type of life they choose—from disaster search to single-purpose detection to an active sport home. And we believe each dog will follow their nose and show us the path they want to take.
Whether deemed unadoptable or too much to handle, many of the dogs that we recruit have been let down by humans and left with nothing but uncertainty about the future. However, we will never give up on them. We will never allow them to reenter the shelter system. And we will never stop loving and caring for them.
But we can’t do it alone—we need your help to ensure every dog we take in is
successful.
Our placement program is unique in looking for the right fit for every dog with individuals, families, and programs that align with our values and will join us in our promise to these amazing canines to:
- Maintain communication and provide updates on adopted dogs, sharing their milestones and achievements with the SDF family
- Commit to ensuring an active, enriching life for each dog, not just through work, but also through play and partnership
- Love each dog as they need to be loved by honoring the human-canine bond, taking the dog’s needs into balanced account with ours
Are you ready to commit to bonding with a highly-driven, active dog that will challenge you in many ways and reward you in so many more?
If so, then please scroll on to read the details of our placement program and meet our available dogs:
It takes a very special canine to work in the field of disaster search. When a dog who is accepted into our disaster search program does not enjoy every aspect of this highly specialized line of work, he or she becomes available for placement. Some of these dogs are trained for another career like conservation detection or companion dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD while others are destined to become beloved companions in active dog sport homes.
SDF finds an adoptive family for each one of these extraordinary animals, stays in touch with the household, and acts as the dog’s advocate for life, making sure that he or she is receiving excellent care in a happy, healthy environment. The program ensures that every dog in the SDF family has a wonderful life and is at no risk of re-entering the shelter system. This is SDF’s unwavering commitment.
Our trainers spend a lot of time with each dog, both while they are in active disaster search training, and after they transition to our placement program. By learning each individual’s needs, our team is able to understand what type of work or sport is best suited for each dog. And if they “change their mind,” that’s ok! We will honor each dog’s motivation as they follow their nose through life.
Each dog is:
- Up-to-date on vaccinations
- Spayed or neutered
- Micro-chipped
- Medically screened to SDF’s program standards
- Crate-trained
- One or more training sessions with our professional staff, in-home training tips, and suggestions,
- Support of Search Dog Foundation throughout the canine’s life to ensure your happy and successful life together.
For working dog placements, we can also provide basic screening videos and can provide specialized screenings, upon request.
We are looking for adopters—working dog organizations, individuals or families—who are aligned with our values and committed to our promise to each dog:
- Maintain communication and provide updates on adopted dogs, sharing their milestones and achievements with the SDF family
- Commit to ensuring an active, enriching life for each dog, not just through work, but also through play and partnership
- Love each dog as they need to be loved by honoring the human-canine bond, taking the dog’s needs into balanced account with ours
For working dog organizations or individual working dog handlers, our transfer fees are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in a working dog through our placement program, please email us at [email protected].
For active and sport home adoptions, our fee is $450.
In order to ensure that each dog we recruit remains healthy, happy, and safe, SDF staff and volunteers check in regularly on dogs adopted through our placement program. This process allows us to check up on how each dog and family or handler are doing. We’re also available to offer support and advice as needed.
Ready to commit? If you are interested in providing a home for a dog through our placement program, please complete our application here and a member of our team will be in touch within 7-10 business days.
Looking for a specific type of partner? See below for what type of life our available dogs are most interested in!
If you are interested in providing a home for a dog through our placement program, please complete our application:
If you’re not ready to adopt just yet, please consider fostering one of our adoptable dogs to help them prepare for the next step in their journey!
If you have any questions at all, you can always contact a member of our team at [email protected] or (888) 4K9-HERO.