Ellie was born on August 4, 2004 and was an eager ball of energy right from the beginning. At just three and a half months, this Yellow Lab was exceeding any “normal” activity levels. Due to her energy level, it was apparent that Ellie needed to be more than a house pet.
Roxanne Bohn, Ellie’s owner, was aware of the Search Dog Foundation (SDF) and felt that this may be the avenue to pursue.
It was clear very early that Ellie was a working dog, not a pet. SDF did not have an active puppy program, but had several dedicated volunteers ready to take a puppy if there was a need. SDF volunteer Mary Lippman stepped forward and accepted Ellie into her home as a Search Dog candidate trainee.
“It’s unusual for the Foundation to accept a puppy that young, but she needed to be placed in a Prep Home immediately,” said Mary, who already lived with an older Lab mix and a cat.
Mary became Ellie’s Prep Home “mom” and Ellie became Mary’s constant companion through November of 2004. Mary couldn’t help but notice that Ellie was sorely in need of obedience classes and a job.
In just months, this bold pup flourished. Ellie attended weekly training sessions in Ventura with SDF’s Canine Prep Home Trainer, Stacey Ayub, to learn basic obedience. Apart from her obedience training, Ellie would run fearlessly up 10-foot A-frames and crawl through tunnels without any hesitation.
“She was eager to learn and was wonderful to work with,” Mary said.
In July of 2005, Ellie packed her bags and headed for Sundowners Kennel in Gilroy, CA to begin her formal Search Dog training. The trainers there said Ellie was amazing and her agility was incredible. Climbing ladders and walking across narrow boards was no problem for her at all. She had no fear.
Kate Davern, one of Sundowners’ trainers, recalled being a “victim” in a tree for Ellie. Once Ellie realized that Kate was in the tree, whereas most dogs would stand below and bark, Ellie immediately climbed it and went out onto a branch to get to Kate!
In May of 2006, Ellie was partnered with firefighter Eric Hanzelka of the Carmel Valley Fire Department in Monterey County. On October 14, 2007, Eric and Ellie passed the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA), the prerequisite to FEMA/DHS certification, the first step in becoming deployment-ready as member of California Task Force 4.
As a testament to the dedication, commitment and hard work of this team, Eric and Ellie traveled to Florida to become FEMA certified in February of 2008 – once a goal and now an achievement.
In 2010 the team was deployed on a missing person search in the Carmel Valley and Eric was pleased to see Ellie did exactly what their hours of training had taught her to do.
In March of 2011 and again in February of 2014, the pair achieved FEMA Re-Certification in order to ensure they maintain their deployment status by testing every three years. It takes a tremendous amount of commitment on behalf of these task force members to dedicate themselves so fully to the years of training, all so that they are ready for the call that someone is missing.
After a decade together serving their community, Ellie was retired from the task force and fire department on her twelfth birthday. As a member of the Hanzelka family, Ellie enjoyed her retirement in their Northern California home as a pet. Ellie remained active and playful with the Hanzelka’s other dogs into her very senior years.
Sadly, realizing that her health was on the decline and the end may be near, members of California Task Force 4 were invited to say goodbye to Ellie and show their appreciation for her one last time. Ellie crossed the Rainbow Bridge on October 2, 2017, at 13 years of age. She was a special dog and will not be forgotten.
