Nala was surrendered to a shelter in Palmdale, CA, by her owners, who were relocating and said they couldn’t take Nala with them. Luckily, Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue (SCGRR) saw Nala in the shelter and, after a short interaction, recognized her friendly demeanor and placed her with a foster family.
Despite being extremely underweight, Nala had plenty of energy when it came to toys—she was obsessed with them and wagged her tail nonstop when she searched out her ball at playtime. Nala’s ball obsession was such a big part of her personality that the rescue team mentioned it when they posted her for adoption on their Facebook page. Our SDF recruiters saw the post and immediately reached out to the rescue.
SCGRR strives to find the best possible homes for their dogs, so being unfamiliar with SDF, they wanted to see the facility where Nala would live before committing to anything. Our Canine Recruitment Team set up a virtual tour of our campus so the rescue president could see firsthand the excellent care our dogs receive and set her mind at ease. Following the tour, the president said: “The work and ethics of Search Dog Foundation look amazing. Thank you for all you do for dogs and people alike!”
So with the blessing of the rescue, Nala started our evaluation process to see if she possessed the potential to train as a search dog. With guidance from SDF, Nala’s foster family performed the screening and recorded the results (the whole family even took part in one of Nala’s field hunt tests!).
Nala looked good in the video demonstrations and was invited to our National Training Center for a live screening with our trainers. She arrived with an SCGRR representative and her foster mom to cheer her on, and Nala did not disappoint! She showed off her talents to our canine trainers and even demonstrated the traits we look for in a potential candidate to some visiting task force handlers! Nala was “in”!
As a trainee, Nala impressed her instructors as a fast learner when she understood the barking criteria after only one session of drive work. She then began developing her bark alert and excelled at this part of the search game, shifting into high gear when she found the hidden person with an intense, rapid-fire alert!
Once she nailed her alert, Nala moved from single-barrel searches to searching for victims in three barrels and buildings. Her enthusiastic attack and robust alert had trainers calling her a “freight train” on barrels, but once she advanced to the rubble pile, Nala left no doubt that she was born for this job. She tackled each search with enthusiasm and speed, making it clear that life as a search dog was perfect for her—she was exactly where she was meant to be!
Nala successfully completed her search training and was partnered with Ed Chea of the Los Angeles Fire Department, California Task Force 1, in an official pairing ceremony on June 3, 2023. In addition to trainers, staff, family, and supporters, Nala’s foster family also attended the ceremony. After a sweet reunion, the family got the chance to see Nala ecstatically do her stuff on the rubble pile, a poignant reminder of Nala’s amazing journey and proof of just how far she had come.
As the newest member of the Chea family, Nala is already dearly loved. She and Ed have quickly bonded as best friends, and their bond will only deepen as they work together as teammates toward FEMA certification and eventual deployment.
We’re so thankful for our rescue, foster, and volunteer friends at Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue, whose advocacy brought Nala to us, and excited to watch as this golden girl thrives in a job she loves with a wonderful family cheering her on!