Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4)
Agency: San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Level: Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Black Labrador
Sex: Female
Born: May 27, 2019
Recruited from Kaiser K9, Inc.
Fostered by the Darling family and the Tisdale family
Sponsor: Arc Aspicio
Leslie was generously donated to SDF by Kaiser K9 (an organization that trains single-scent detection dogs) based in Catonsville, MD. Recognizing Leslie’s search dog potential as a puppy, her owners reached out to see if SDF would be interested in welcoming Leslie into our programs. Since she was too young to join our training program when she first arrived, she spent her early months being fostered by SDF Director of Canine Operations, Tracy Darling, and her husband (and SDF handler) Eric Darling and later Canine Training Manager Mandy Tisdale and her husband, Eric.
Leslie matured beautifully and officially entered SDF’s search training in April 2020. Eight months later, Leslie graduated when she was partnered with Battalion Chief Erik Falkenstrom, a veteran of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.
Leslie returned home to Northern California with Erik and began training with her new teammates on California Task Force 4, based in Oakland. They worked hard to achieve FEMA certification in April 2021 and again in January 2024. This ensures that their skills are up to par and they are prepared to go out the door should the call to action come.
We are very proud of these two and their dedication to the canine program and their teammates. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for them!