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. Four 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 June 1, 2024.
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 4
CALIFORNIA TASK FORCE 8
VIRGINIA TASK FORCE 2
Watch our Search Team Pairing Ceremony video here!
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.
Thank you to the following folks for helping us form these pairings:
- Julie Croker for sponsoring Goldie.
- Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe for sending us Greta.
- The Sandra Trinka Trust and Jeff Moscaret & Valeria Tesauro for sponsoring Greta.
- Tooele City Animal Shelter for sending us Lennie.
- The Joel and Dena Gambord Family for sponsoring Lennie.
- Dogs for Better Lives for sending us Wheeler.
- Ann Cooluris, the Nahikian Family Foundation and an anonymous donor for sponsoring Wheeler.
- Angel Flight West volunteers, including Michael Kennedy, for transporting Greta and Wheeler.
- Four Legged Kids Bus for transporting Goldie and Lennie.