Aspen, a male Yellow Labrador, was rescued by the Humane League when he was just a puppy and then raised by SDF supporters Jeff and Jill Wenig of Santa Paula, CA. The family had heard about the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) and knew something about the kind of dogs we were looking for. They brought Aspen to our attention when they noticed that he had considerable agility and a remarkable prey drive. Also, thanks to the training he received at home, Aspen was exceptionally obedient and well-mannered.
Aspen was evaluated by SDF staff and passed his tests effortlessly. Soon, he was off to Sundowners Kennels in Gilroy, CA for six months of formal training to become an SDF disaster search dog. Aspen excelled in their training program. At the end of his training phase in October of 2002, a group of new handlers came to Sundowners to be trained and partnered with their own search dogs. Based on their personalities and training styles, Aspen was partnered with Kelly Gordon of the Montebello Police Department near Los Angeles. Aspen enjoyed an active, happy life with Kelly at their home in Rancho Cucamonga, near Los Angeles.
This outstandingly regal Yellow Lab achieved a milestone in his life in June of 2005. He and Kelly became part of an elite group of disaster search dog teams when they achieved Advanced Certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). With this status they were recognized as being among the most prepared canine/handler deployment teams in the nation.
Kelly noted that Aspen did a great job during this day-long test, and they passed without difficulty! But this achievement did not come overnight. Kelly and Aspen had been working and training diligently together for some time in order to accomplish this goal.
Aspen was a very well-rounded dog, according to Kelly, and she considers this one of the best personality traits for a search dog. After certification Kelly said he had a good “on and off switch,” meaning that he had a very good sense of his role when on-duty as opposed to off-duty. He would be relaxed and social during down time but when it was time to work, he was ready.
When describing off-duty hours, Kelly said, “He’s kind of like the class clown. He’s a big goofball. He’s fun and he makes you laugh.” At those times he loved anything outdoors. Like a good Labrador, he loved to swim and hike. One of his favorite things to do was to run alongside Kelly when she went mountain biking. He also had a monstrous tug and loved to play. At the end of the day, Aspen was happy to get his reward for a hard day’s work: his favorite toy and a good night’s sleep.
Kelly continued to work on the San Diego Task Force as a police officer. In 2005, she and Aspen were deployed to help with rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2006 they deployed again, this time to search for survivors in the wake of Hurricane Ernesto.
By 2008 their original FEMA Certification expired—teams must re-certify every three years—but as expected the team passed again with flying colors. They went on to enjoy weekly trainings with their task force teammates, committed to remaining deployment-ready at a moment’s notice.
When Aspen reached the age of ten, in June of 2011, Kelly and her Chief decided that Aspen should not be re-certified a third time, as he had slowed significantly on the rubble and they did not think he was physically capable of going full term, should they be sent on a lengthy deployment. In order to keep Aspen happy and healthy, he lived the life of a spoiled pet in Kelly’s home.
On July 27, 2014, Kelly said goodbye to her partner and friend of 12 years. Aspen peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge with Kelly at his side. We are grateful to Aspen and Kelly for they dedication to the citizens they served.