Frisco was originally surrendered by his owners to Humane Society of Cowlitz County in Longview, Washington. Because he was so obsessed with his ball, he was way too much dog for their household. Unfortunately, Cowlitz County was full and was unable to keep this Labrador mix, so Lisa Beggio, a staff member from Columbia Humane Society in Saint Helens, Oregon, went to help relieve Cowlitz County by bringing some dogs from the overpopulated shelters to another area, in hopes of adoption. Thankfully, this type of networking is common within the shelter system, and by working together, they can save more animals’ lives.
Luckily, Lisa had developed a working relationship with SDF Canine Recruiter Kirsten Fulk, who routinely visited shelters in the region looking for potential search dog candidates. Lisa said she immediately recognized that Frisco would be a good prospect for search and rescue work, so she transported him to Columbia Humane and contacted Kirsten to evaluate Frisco. Kirsten was happy to report, “he passed with flying colors.”
Kirsten brought Frisco to SDF in Santa Paula, CA, in April 2017, and he truly impressed our trainers. Frisco was extremely driven throughout his training and was always incredibly enthusiastic about his toys!
He graduated from SDF’s training program on February 2, 2018, and was paired with Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedic Gary Durian. Frisco was Gary’s third SDF search dog and he has been a member of California Task Force 2’s (CA-TF2) canine team for over a decade. The new team achieved FEMA Certification in Phoenix, AZ on March 2, 2019.
Gary and Frisco deployed together on the following missions:
- July 25, 2020 – Hurricane Douglas – Hawaiian Islands
- September 11, 2020 – Vehicle Accident – Lynwood, CA
The team achieved FEMA re-certification on June 18, 2022, and then said their goodbyes to the team on September 30, 2023, when Gary announced his retirement from the department after decades of service. Between all three search dogs, Gary has deployed 14 times since 2008, including missions to Haiti, Japan, and Nepal.
Gary and his wife relocated to enjoy their retirement years, and Frisco joined them in this next chapter of their lives. We’re told that Frisco enjoys swimming in their new pool and regular walks. He has taken to life as a regular “pet” well and makes every day better for them.
We are grateful to Frisco and Gary for their dedication to the canine program and service!