Gypsy’s Story
Gypsy, an energetic Border Collie, was donated by SDF Canine Handler Deresa Teller when she was two months old. Just to look at her, you could see the boundless energy she possessed from her perky ears to her bushy tail. Gypsy was placed in the loving prep home of the Ayub family, where she was cared for and taught basic commands, obedience, and socializations skills.
“Amazing…she’s such a lover,” is how Stacey, Bill, Braeden, Blake, and Brittany Ayub described Gypsy, who came to live with them at eight weeks old. Talk about a fast learner! By ten weeks she had learned voice and hand commands such as sit, stay, down, and more. At twelve weeks, she was heeling without a leash. Stacey enjoyed taking Gypsy everywhere she went. Gypsy was very social from the start and enjoyed showing off her skills. She was very curious, yet disciplined.
When she was still a pup, Gypsy participated in her first school presentation aimed at educating children about the Search Dog Foundation. She also made many visits to senior care homes, where she was so gentle and kind. She brought smiles to many faces. Stacey recalls thinking how much Gypsy enjoyed socializing, but knew Gypsy’s heart was focused on work and that she would make an outstanding Search Dog.
Gypsy went off to Search Dog training at ten months knowing over 35 commands, filled with energy. She arrived at Sundowners Kennel in April of 2004, ready to begin her formal training as a Search Dog. She successfully completed her training and was given her official assignment at the South San Francisco Fire Department, where she was teamed with Fire Safety Inspector Tom Carney.
Tom and Gypsy’s partnership was a learning experience for both. This was Tom’s first pairing with a Search Dog and their work proved to be demanding, challenging and most of all, rewarding.
It took some time for Gypsy to become acclimated to her new environment. Tom, eager to get started, saw how vital it was to make Gypsy feel comfortable in her new home and job and worked closely with her to build a strong relationship. Over the months, Tom realized how important ongoing involvement and training was to Gypsy’s continued growth and well-being as a Search Dog.
Tom often remarked on how smart Gypsy was and how quickly she learned. Tom made it a point to say that although he continually worked at teaching Gypsy new skills, he also learned from her. He listened and watched her closely so that he could better understand her needs and responses. He cited an example of when they first started working together. Tom was giving an incorrect command, yet Gypsy responded with the right one! He said he realized then how “forgiving” she is and how important it was for them to communicate and understand each other.
In addition to keeping their rescue skills sharp and conducting numerous inspections each day, Tom and Gypsy were very involved in their community. The two spent numerous hours spreading the safety awareness message as well as educating the public on the importance of the Search Dog program.
In January of 2006, Gypsy was generously sponsored by Danielle Boulet, and in March of the same year they achieved advanced FEMA Certification, allowing them to deploy within the United States when disasters strike. Tom and Gypsy re-Certified in June of 2011 and again in February 2014, and were always prepared to respond to disasters.
Gypsy went on the following deployments:
- February 10, 2014 – Building collapse – San Jose, CA
- September 10, 2010 – Gas pipeline explosion – San Bruno, CA
- August 24, 2009 – Missing person search – South San Francisco, CA
- September 11, 2008 – Hurricane Ike – Galveston, TX
- September 1, 2008 – Hurricane Gustav – Louisiana
- August 29, 2006 – Hurricane Ernesto – Florida & South Caroline
- July 31, 2006 – Building collapse – Daly City, CA
In February of 2015, Tom was paired with SDF Search Dog Allie. Tom, Gypsy and Allie trained together and Gypsy was expected to retire at the end of her FEMA certification in February 2017. Together, Gypsy, Tom and Allie continued to spread the message of fire safety and prevention in the hopes of making our communities safer places to live.
Sadly, Gypsy’s health took a turn for the worst and on December 11, 2016, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge with Tom at her side.
Following their last weekend together, Tom shared,
“Gypsy was the best dog anyone could ask for. I will cherish all the great memories we’ve had together; many trips to the lake, taking shot gun to and from work, many searches and finds, how she took to my son and accepted him when she was the only ‘child’ I had for years before he came along, most importantly how she’s always made me a proud dog owner and a better person.”