Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4)
Agency: Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Level: Certified
Most Recent Certification: April 25, 2021
Search Dog Info
Breed: Black Lab
Sex: Male
Born: December 16, 2018
Recruited from Dogs For Better Lives
Sponsor: Ann Cooluris
Born into the same litter in 2018 at Dogs for Better Lives (DBL)—a fellow non-profit organization that professionally trains service and companion dogs in Central Point, Oregon—Bonus, Bond and Bosco, adorable black Labrador Retrievers, were career changed into SDF’s program due to their high energy. While that character trait isn’t ideal for work as an assistance dog, it makes them perfect for search and rescue work! Bonus was initially adopted out to a family but quickly returned to DBL because of his seemingly endless energy. The siblings were living with fosters while awaiting new homes, but they were deemed too energetic to be placed with families again and sent back to DBL to find a more suitable place for them to thrive. Luckily, the partnership between DBL and SDF allowed the pups to be evaluated as search dog candidates—an evaluation they passed with flying colors!
Bonus was accepted into the SDF training program in April of 2020. He graduated at the end of the year when he was partnered with firefighter Anthony Vasta of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Bonus returned home with Tony and began training weekly with their new teammates on California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4), based in Oakland.
After months of hard work, the team achieved FEMA certification in April 2021 and then again in April 2024, as is required to maintain deployment status with CA-TF4. This makes them eligible to deploy nationwide with their task force teammates should the need arise.