Rosa, a black Labrador Retriever, came to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in 1999 from a local Ojai, California breeder, Liz Harward. Liz wanted to help SDF and knew her dog lines were full of bold, driven canines, a perfect match for our program.
Rosa was fostered by volunteers Sandy Miller and Ralph Jones of Ojai, where she learned the basics of obedience and obstacle training before moving on to Sundowners Kennels, SDF’s training facility at that time. There, she spent six months with lead trainer Pluis Davern and developed the skills she needed to become a top-notch search dog. Pluis decided to team Rosa with Fernando Pelaez, a firefighter in Montebello, CA, on June 1, 2000. Fernando noticed immediately that Rosa was intelligent, bold, and could be aggressive and overbearing (but in a good way!). He felt Pluis put them together because Fernando had the opposite temperament. The two proved to be an excellent team, developing a well-balanced relationship with their complementary personalities.
Rosa lived with Fernando and his family and formed a bond with Fernando’s daughter, who greatly loved animals and especially loved their walks together. Rosa went to work with Fernando each day, where she had her own kennel near him. She had fun with all the guys at the fire station, but Fernando was careful to limit her playtime so that she could concentrate entirely on her continual training. Together, they trained weekly on obstacles and performed searches for mock victims to keep their skills sharp.
Fernando and Rosa deployed on three California searches. Two incidents occurred in 2003: a train derailment in the City of Commerce and a mudslide in Waterman Canyon near San Bernardino. Their final deployment was to help with rescue efforts at a deadly mudslide in La Conchita, California, in January 2005. Each search provided new and different challenges that Rosa was able to meet because of constant, high-level training with Fernando.
Fernando and Rosa reached the Advanced FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) certification level, the highest possible skill recognition for search dog teams in the U.S. They belonged to California Task Force 5, based in Orange County, and were one of twelve SDF-trained teams assigned to the L.A. County task force for deployments outside of the United States through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.
Rosa retired on January 20, 2007, and found a permanent home as a family pet with friends of Fernando’s. Rosa enjoyed following the heat, spending half the year in Arizona and half in California. Her new family shared that Rosa remained happy, healthy, and active up until the time she passed peacefully on September 29, 2013, one day before her 15th birthday.
Rosa’s life and service are honored on SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula, CA.