This handsome, long-legged Chocolate Lab was donated to the Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in September of 2010 by SDF volunteer Penny Woodruff. After finding an ad in the local newspaper about this high-energy dog, she evaluated him for SDF and determined he was a perfect candidate. SDF volunteer Jamie Kitz picked him up from Penny and delivered him to our training facility to begin his new career.
After learning the basics at SDF’s Prep Kennel at the time in Castaic, CA, Rugby entered advanced training at Sundowners Kennels in Gilroy, CA, in November of 2010. He quickly learned obedience commands, how to walk on uneven surfaces, and most importantly, the sustained “bark alert” search dogs must perform when they find someone buried beneath rubble. For having such long legs, SDF’s trainers were amazed at how gracefully Rugby was able to traverse the rubble piles he was trained on.
In May of 2011, Rugby was paired with Los Angeles County Fire Captain Dennis Clark. Dennis and Rugby then began the process of not just training, but getting to know each other and bonding with one another. Rugby joined Dennis and his family at home in Fullerton, CA, which included his two children and three pet dogs: a Chihuahua, a Great Dane and a Black Lab.
“My original thought was, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s huge!’” Dennis said upon meeting Rugby. “The first time I saw him on obstacles, I was amazed at how large and agile and quick he is, but also how detailed he is on searches. I can’t wait to see what else he can do!”
Dennis and Rugby achieved certification with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA ) in February of 2012, and became eligible to respond to disasters locally, nationally, and internationally as part of California Task Force 2, based in Los Angeles.
On January 17, 2014, the first call to duty came when a hiker went missing in Claremont, CA. Dennis and Rugby responded alongside teammates Dennis DiMarzio and Ty, and the teams were able to divide up the search area and seek out anyone lost in the hills. Dennis Clark reported back, “The search went great! Both Ty and Rugby searched amazingly. I was really happy with the speed and proficiency Rugby searched. Some of the comments from the firefighters were, ‘Wow! Look at that dog go’ and ‘look how much area he has covered in minutes.’ In my head I thought like a proud dad, ‘that’s my boy.’”
After their initial mission, Dennis and Rugby responded to the following deployments throughout their career together:
- April 26, 2014 – Missing Person Search – Whittier, CA
- March 16, 2015 – Vehicle Crash – Mt Baldy, CA
- April 26, 2015 – Earthquake – Kathmandu, Nepal
- August 9, 2015 – Vehicle Crash – Pasadena, CA
- September 19, 2017 – Earthquake – Mexico City, Mexico
- January 8, 2018 – Mudslides – Montecito, CA
- September 19, 2018 – Missing Person Search – South El Monte, CA
When severe weather was expected, Dennis and Rugby would stage to deploy in case of mudslide in the L.A. area, and they regularly conducted demos for SDF and did public outreach to educate the public about Rugby’s skillset and the teams on-hand to assist in case of emergency.
On January 24, 2015, and again on November 11, 2017, the team was evaluated for FEMA certification, as all U.S. search teams do every three years. Dennis and Rugby successfully passed each test and deployed eight times both locally and internationally before retiring on June 30, 2019. Dennis retired from L.A. County Fire and he and his wife moved to their dream home in Nevada where Rugby had lots of room to run and play.
Sadly, Dennis notified us that Rugby crossed the Rainbow Bridge on May 25, 2023, at the age of 13. Dennis and his family were able to say goodbye to this beloved family member as he peacefully passed.
We are incredibly grateful to Dennis and Rugby for their dedication to the canine program and service to citizens around the globe. Rugby’s life and legacy will be honored at SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall.
Rugby was given his name by longtime SDF friend and volunteer photographer Eliot Crowley.