Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2)
Agency: Santa Barbara County Fire
Level: FEMA Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Female
Born: January 8, 2018
Recruited by Marco Osorio
Sponsor: Friends of Search and Rescue Canine Teams
As with many of the dogs we see coming through our gates, Dee is an energetic Labrador Retriever who is described as “bold and boisterous” by our trainers! Unfortunately, that drive and tenacity proved to be too much for the elderly couple that owned her, and they made the decision to donate her to SDF. Dee impressed former SDF recruiter Marco Osorio as she easily passed our screening tests and together, they made the cross-country drive from New England to our campus in Southern California.
Dee spent a year at SDF’s National Training Center, learning her foundational search dog skills, before being paired with Captain Eric Gray of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) in November of 2021. As members of these two agencies, the team can deploy locally in Southern California, as well as across the U.S. and internationally!
Dee is a perfect match for Eric as his third working dog, following in the footsteps of both his previous search dogs, Riley and Waffles. Taking on a third search dog would be another long-term commitment but, driven by his desire to help others in times of need and dedication to the canine program, Eric decided he was ready for his next canine partner.
Eric’s goals have changed compared to when he was paired with Riley in 2009. This time, he is excited to build upon his experience and ongoing training, in order to expand his own handler skills, as well as to help share that knowledge with the next generation of handlers.
Dee and Eric trained hard with their task force teammates and achieved certification with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in June 2022. FEMA certification is a requirement for all canine teams to deploy with a task force and must be renewed every three years. As one of two globally deployable U.S. task forces, CA-TF2 is ready to assist in the aftermath of major disasters worldwide at a moment’s notice.
To date, Dee and Eric have responded to the following missions:
- September 4, 2022 – Missing Person – Gaviota, CA
- September 13, 2022 – Mudslides – San Bernardino County, CA
- August 23, 2023 – Building Explosion – Santa Maria, CA
When not training or working at the station, Dee enjoys life at home with Eric’s family. Dee has a sister now and we’re told she likes play and lounge time nearly as much as searching on rubble. We could not be happier to hear how well Dee adjusted to being welcomed into the Gray household.
We look forward to watching Dee’s career unfold as Eric’s newest partner!