Two SDF-trained Search Teams Search Wreckage of Syracuse House Explosion

  New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2) members Adam Leckonby & Luka and Greg Gould & Keila searched for victims buried in the remains of a Syracuse home after an explosion leveled it on June 18. Firefighters encountered a heavy odor of natural gas when they arrived on the scene, …

Happy Tails – Raven trades rubble for snow in her new career as an avalanche search and rescue dog!

Raven was purchased by a family in Salt Lake City, Utah, with hopes of raising her to be a support dog for their child. However, it quickly became clear that Raven's rambunctious personality would not lend itself well to that role—in fact, her off-the-wall energy was simply too much for …

Happy Tails – Hank busts crime in his busy new detection and tracking career

Hank's journey began in Utah, where he lived with his owners, their kids, and other dogs. Despite having canine companions to play with, Hank's boundless energy and toy obsession often left his owners exhausted and at their wits' end. Hank's love for toys was unparalleled, and while this was initially …

SDF-trained Teams Search in Aftermath of Midwest Tornadoes

  Our thoughts are with the residents of Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas as they deal with the aftermaths of multiple storms that affected those regions over the last several weeks. On April 26, SDF-trained teams Damon Wirth & Koa and Adam Schaaf & Dodger responded after a tornado hit the Lincoln, Nebraska, …

Happy Tails – Callie dives paws first into her fun-filled life as a canine athlete

Callie was picked up as a stray near Youngsville, North Carolina by a Paws for Life NC rescue volunteer, who brought Callie to the rescue when no owner claimed her. There, her rescuer—who also happened to be a canine agility trainer—and shelter staff noticed Callie's passion for tennis balls and …

Dax (2010 – 2024)

In June of 2011, SDF trainer Kellee Matthews was contacted by Guide Dogs of America (GDA) in Sylmar, CA, about several dogs from a litter that they felt were possible candidates for our urban disaster canine training program. GDA trains companion canines for the blind and visually impaired. Occasionally, they …

Happy Tails – Cork’s search training leads him to his forever home

Cork came to us from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, where longtime SDF canine recruiters at the South Dakota Canine Center encountered this energetic boy during a routine shelter visit. At just eighteen months old, Cork had already been through many homes in his young life, and sadly, not …

Blake (2014 – 2024)

In October of 2016, Blake was picked up as a stray by Jackson County Animal Care & Control Center in Phoenix, Oregon. Two weeks after his arrival, SDF Canine Recruiter Kirsten Fulk visited the shelter, seeking high energy dogs to evaluate for SDF. She did not see any on the …