Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2)
Agency: Los Angeles County Fire
Level: FEMA Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: German Shepherd
Sex: Male
Born: October 1, 2018
Recruited by: Charlie Freeman
Donated by: Private Donor in Lillington, NC
Sponsors: Carol George and Roger Stewart
Mattis is an 18-month-old German Shepherd Dog/Belgian Malinois mix from Lillington, NC. His original owner brought him home as a 7-week-old puppy but, unfortunately, it soon became clear that he was not a good fit for their family due to his high energy, toy drive, and his owner’s recent life changes. Mattis is very friendly and good with kids and other dogs, but he is so obsessed with the rope toy that he will not stop to eat or drink as long as the rope is in play. All of these traits made Mattis a perfect fit for a career as a search dog!
A close friend of Mattis’ original owner contacted SDF after discovering us through her research into working dog organizations. After passing his initial evaluation with Recruiter Charlie Freeman, Mattis hitched a ride with fellow Recruiter Holley Murray on her cross-country road trip to SDF’s training center, along with two other new candidates.