Maggie Thrives in Her New Role with the Bellville Police Department!

Maggie was found roaming an industrial area of L.A. and taken to the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA), a very high-capacity shelter in southeast Los Angeles. The staff and volunteers at SEAACA want to help as many animals as possible, but unfortunately, space and resources are limited. As one …

SDF’s Rescue Partners Visit Campus for “Evaluating Working Dogs” Training Event

In recruiting canines for our search program, we've developed relationships with other organizations that employ working dogs in numerous fields, such as law enforcement, conservation, and wilderness and avalanche rescue, to name a few. Thanks to these contacts, we can find placements for candidates who don't choose to pursue disaster …

From Roaming the Streets to Patrolling a Beat: Meet K9 Zeva

Zeva was found as a stray in Columbia, Missouri. No one came forward to claim her, so Zeva was fostered while she waited for adoption through the Missouri German Shepherd Rescue. Zeva’s foster happened to have experience in search and rescue training and was immediately impressed with the skills Zeva …

Lilah (2010-2023)

In January of 2011, SDF received a call from volunteer Andrea Bergquist (whose husband Chris was a handler with California Task Force 7 based in Sacramento), letting us know that she had discovered an excellent Search Dog candidate at the Sacramento SPCA. Lilah, a one-year-old Black Lab, had been picked …

“It Was All Because of My Dog:” Former Search Dog Lexi and Her Adopter, Lisa, Find Purpose as a Therapy Team

Lexi was found as a stray in Rapid City, South Dakota, and taken to the Humane Society of the Black Hills, where a staff member noted her high energy and love for tennis balls and contacted SDF. Lexi was evaluated and accepted into our search program, where according to trainers, …