Busy was one of 22 dogs confiscated from a bad situation and placed with the Humane Society of the Black Hills in South Dakota. Once the dogs arrived, the shelter staff quickly contacted SDF, and two SDF recruiters spent four days evaluating the new dogs to determine whether any would be a good fit for our program. Out of the group, the recruiters determined that Busy and one other dog, Harper, showed potential for disaster search. Soon after, Busy and Harper embarked on a cross-country road trip to California. Busy had just gotten his new “leash” on life!
Once Busy arrived at the NTC, he was evaluated by our staff. Remarkably, despite his previous situation, Busy had no “stranger danger”—in fact, he loved everyone he met! He also seemed to have a natural talent for picking up scents, and had great drive and energy. He didn’t end up loving SAR, but his excellent temperament and strong hunt drive indicated he had potential as a working dog in an alternative career. Our team began reaching out to our network of working dog handlers in the hopes of finding him a career placement.
Busy was matched with a canine handler on a trial basis to train for bed bug detection, but shortly after Busy left for the career trial, the onset of the COVID pandemic brought everything to a halt. As people sheltered in place, the spread of disease slowed, as did the spread of bed bugs. This unintended outcome, while positive overall, meant there weren’t nearly as many training opportunities for Busy, so he came back to SDF while we searched for an active home where he could thrive.
Less than a month later, Busy found exactly what he was looking for! He was adopted into a competitive sport home where he was introduced to fun sports like flyball and dock diving. These activities turned out to be the perfect outlet for his energy and drive, and his cooperative skills are a huge strength when it comes to sports training. He and his dog siblings—including SDF-adopted Caper—travel with their adoring mom to different tournaments where they compete and have a great time! We absolutely love seeing how much fun Busy and his siblings are having, and are consistently impressed with their talent! Most importantly, as part of our SDF forever family, we’re always cheering them on!
Click here to learn more about our Canine Placement Program!