Cork came to us from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, where longtime SDF canine recruiters at the South Dakota Canine Center encountered this energetic boy during a routine shelter visit. At just eighteen months old, Cork had already been through many homes in his young life, and sadly, not all of them were kind or patient with him. Despite his sweet personality, it was difficult for adopters to look past his rambunctious nature. Each time he was returned to the shelter, the reason was the same: he just had too much energy. That’s no problem for SDF, though—in fact, it’s a requirement!
Cork was pulled from the shelter and went home with recruiters while he awaited transport to SDF. His recruiters nicknamed him Tigger because he was so bouncy, and they marveled at his resilience in light of his difficult past. One of his recruiters stated, “We absolutely fell in love with him – he’s such a sweet, silly and genuine boy. Cork has everything it takes to be a search dog, with the best heart.”
Thanks to one of our incredible volunteer pilots, Cork made his way to SDF and arrived at the NTC safe and sound and ready to get to work! As he progressed in our program, Cork continued to capture the hearts of all who met him, including Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter Nick Bartel of California Task Force 2, who got to know Cork while participating in SDF’s Handler Training Program.
When the decision was made to release Cork from training, Nick expressed his interest in adopting Cork as a family pet, and with the full support of our team, Nick officially adopted Cork through our Canine Placement Program! Now, Cork is loving life as a beloved pet in the Bartel household, and is joined by Nick’s working dog partner, Search Dog Six. Though he’s no longer in training to become a working dog, Cork still gets to visit SDF’s campus from time to time, and thoroughly enjoyed a recent visit where he had the opportunity to search the rubble pile again!
Though ultimately he wasn’t destined to become a working dog, Cork’s time with SDF led him to exactly where he’s meant to be. Cork finally has the forever home—and forever people—he was looking for all along. We’re so incredibly happy to see Cork thriving in his happy life, and we look forward to his next visit to the NTC!
Click here to learn more about our Canine Placement Program!