In April of 2005, a cute little yellow Lab pup was born, specifically bred for the purpose of being a Guide Dog. Guide Dogs of America (GDA) breeds canines with the specific purpose of training these dogs to assist the handicapped. The dogs are trained to perform some amazing tasks.
Occasionally, a litter born for this purpose includes a pup that is destined to do more. When one of these pups appears, GDA immediately seeks out alternatives for the dog. Wylie, previously known as Wyler, was one of those pups. Raised to be a Guide Dog, Wylie changed course.
GDA puppy raiser Kathy Tallant remembers, “He never stopped. If you were throwing a toy for him and wanted to stop, he would bring that toy and drop it at your feet for hours after you wanted to quit!”
At two years of age, Wylie was dropped from the GDA training program and was up for reassignment. He possessed the drive and focus that would make him successful in the field of Search and Rescue. GDA Canine Manager Kellee Matthews recognized Wylie’s special talents and contacted SDF immediately.
Kellee remembers the day she tested Wylie, “…Letting him leap all around me at the toy – off-leash, to the horror of the other GDA staff. I took him to a shrubby area on the GDA grounds and let him play fetch for a while – then made things tough. He was up for it all!” Kellee gave him a thumbs-up on his first evaluation and it wasn’t long before Wylie was on his way to Sundowners Kennels in Gilroy, CA, SDF’s training kennel at the time.
Wylie flew through training at Sundowners and was soon ready to be paired with a handler. He was paired with Orange County firefighter Doug Van Iwaarden on January 31, 2008.
In February of 2009, Doug and Wylie achieved FEMA Certification. They deployed just a few months later, in May of 2009, to search for a missing person in Tustin, CA, and again in July of 2009 where they helped locate a missing person in Laguna Beach, CA. During their Laguna Beach search, Wylie was successful in finding his live find victim who happened to fall off a cliff while chasing after a remote-controlled airplane and were able to celebrate a job well done.
In November of 2011, the team was re-certified by FEMA in order to maintain deployment eligibility.
On November 30, 2014, Wylie was officially retired from active service at a celebration thrown to honor his loyal service at the side of his partner, Doug.
In attendance was veteran Montebello Fire Department Captain Marc Valentine, himself a seasoned SDF handler. “For many years, Wylie has been a valued member of Orange County Fire Authority and California Task Force 5.
Sadly, Doug had to say goodbye to his partner on December 3, 2020. He was able to thank him for his service and friendship on behalf of a grateful nation. Wylie will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and honored at SDF’S Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula for many years to come.