Since its inception, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) has focused on recruiting search dog candidates from shelters, breed rescue groups, and other individuals or organizations. Our canine recruiters evaluate these dogs, and if they fit within our criteria, we accept them into the program, care for them, train them, and partner them with first responders to begin their careers as disaster search dogs. Pupdog’s story is a little different.
A male German Shepherd mix, Pupdog was born in 1996. Seth Peacock chose him from a litter at the age of 7 weeks. Seth raised him and recognized that he had search dog potential. During the summers, Seth and Pupdog trained in Ojai – Seth’s hometown. During the rest of the year, they trained in Colorado, where Seth attended medical school. Seth and Pupdog’s rapport was so great and their training program so effective that within 18 months, they obtained Basic Certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Soon after, they achieved their Advanced Certification from the FEMA, the highest level recognized in the country.
The email that follows from Seth gives a picture of their active, exciting life while living in Colorado:
“As for PD [Pupdog], we are training with Colorado Task Force 1 on a regular basis, usually once a week. He also attends classes with me at the UCHSC Medical School. We run, swim and hike for physical fitness. As for search training, we are working on deep holes with diffuse sent.
“PD recently attended a camp for kids with cancer. He served as friend for a kid in a wheelchair named Seth, and was also on standby for any emergencies as we were in the wilderness near Long Peak in Colorado.”
On September 11, Seth’s and Pupdog’s skills were put to the ultimate test. They happened to be in Ojai when the World Trade Center was attacked. They were called into action as one of thirteen SDF search teams deployed to Ground Zero and flew to New York with California Task Force 1, based in Los Angeles. The team’s training paid off as they searched in the extremely dangerous and demanding conditions at the site. This required climbing over twisted metal and sharp, hot concrete slabs and breathing in dust and smoke. The teams searched the rubble in twelve-hour shifts. The rest of the time was spent caring for the dogs and getting as much sleep as possible, usually just a few hours. In the end, the teams were exhausted but proud to have served their country in the aftermath of this great tragedy.
Seth and Pupdog were also deployed during a local disaster in South America, where Seth was staying for the summer. The team’s final deployment was to Louisiana after Hurricane Rita in September of 2005.
Upon retirement, Pupdog transitioned to life as a family pet with Seth in Indiana, where Seth began his first internship after graduating from Medical School in 2006. The two best friends enjoyed their life together in the Midwest until Pupdog peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 7, 2007. Pupdog’s life and service are commemorated on SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula, CA. We are forever grateful to have been a part of his story.