Nino is an energetic Fox Red Labrador Retriever, and since he started on the path towards becoming a FEMA-Certified Disaster Search Dog, he has impressed everyone he’s met with his athleticism and drive. “He’s everything you could want in a Search Dog,” said then SDF Canine Manager Karen Klingberg. Added to this is the absolute joy he finds in barking—which, for a Search Dog, is a powerful tool.
Picked up as a stray in Roseville, CA Nino was brought to the Placer County SPCA in August of 2006. He lived there until October, when Bark Force member Jessica Huggins, on the hunt for potential Search Dogs, recognized his talent and called SDF. Sacramento firefighter and SDF handler Shani Cornell volunteered to test the dog and he passed with flying colors.
Remembers SDF trainer Kate Davern: “Nino was so strong and energetic, so enthusiastic about searching, that we had to be careful training him. His overdrive was balanced out by his incredible sweetness. Once he learned he would be petted if he sat still for a minute, he loved it.”
Nino was paired with Marin County Fire Captain Jim Boggeri in the summer of 2008. Jim previously had another Search Dog, Recon, who after nine years of service and deployment to several disasters – including Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav and a Mill Valley mudslide – crossed the Rainbow Bridge in January of 2012. Recon is commemorated on SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall at the National Training Center.
Jim says he has yet to find Nino’s “OFF switch,” and knows that he’ll be a star Search Dog. First with Recon and now with Nino, Jim is living his life’s dream and wants to inspire others to follow along this same path. His advice to would-be SDF handlers: “Understand the nature of the job and the commitment needed. Enjoy the successes, understanding that the highs and lows are extremes that will test your limits. Failure is simply not an option. I would like my legacy to be my commitment to fire service and my respect and allegiance to my canine partners and the Search Dog Foundation.”
Jim and Nino first achieved FEMA Certification in October of 2009, then re-certified in Boston, MA in June of 2012, allowing them to continue to be deployable anywhere that disaster strikes in the United States.
On August 24, 2014, the team was called out to respond with Regional Task Force 1 to a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Napa. The team was assigned to the downtown Napa area and thankfully all of the small city’s citizens had been accounted for.
Jim and Nino will be ready next time and we will be here to support them when that day comes!