Hawkeye detects bed bugs
The last time you saw Hawkeye might have been when he won “Best Hair” in our 2018 Class Yearbook. At the time, he was living on our campus and, as it turned out, working with the trainers who would ultimately discover his true calling.
Taking no less than four turns, Hawkeye’s surprising career trajectory started with enrollment in an inmate canine training program in Wyoming, where his insatiable toy drive made him an imperfect fit. Next, he transferred to Freedom Service Dogs, a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by rescuing dogs and training them for individual client needs. Hawkeye’s sweet temperament made him great with people, but his obsession with toys persisted. He constantly wanted someone to throw a ball or play tug with him and would even bark at people if they ignored him!
Because of his laser focus and demand for more physical work, Freedom Service Dogs thought he might make a good search dog candidate. They reached out to SDF, and Hawkeye began his third career in our search dog training program.
Despite Hawkeye’s friendliness towards people, he showed uncertainty when placed in new, challenging environments such as the rubble pile. No amount of encouragement from our trainers could help him feel more comfortable on the uneven surfaces, which meant disaster search work was not for him. We knew there was a perfect place for this special boy, though, and we were right – eventually finding Hawkeye his ideal career match as a bed bug detection dog!
Hawkeye now leads a fulfilling life sniffing out bed bugs all around Las Vegas, and each day includes plenty of tugging and games of fetch for this playful canine. He doesn’t give up until the last pesky bug has been found – and we, his SDF family, will never give up on him!
Good job, Hawkeye!
Once rescued, they will never have to be rescued again.
Since our founding, SDF has promised every dog in our program a purpose and a place, even if they cannot complete training. Each dog in the SDF family will successfully live a life they love and never return to the shelter, no matter what.
For some, a different calling may emerge during training, and we vow to help them find their way, wherever that may lead—whether as working dogs in another career or as beloved pets in the right home.