Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3)
Agency: San Francisco Fire Department
Level: FEMA Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Black Labrador
Sex: Female
Born: November 23, 2017
Recruited from a private donor in Ronan, MT
Cassie’s previous owners had high hopes for success in the world of field trial, a competition that measures a dog’s hunting abilities. Unfortunately, Cassie was not a strong enough marker to continue as a competitor in that career, and her owner was faced with trying to find a new path for this lovable girl.
Cassie’s owner knew that this bundle of energy needed a full-time job to keep her satisfied and happened to notice SDF’s ad in a field trial publication. Sure enough, after reaching out, we agreed that Cassie had what it takes to enter training and begin a new career path as a search dog!
During her training to become a search dog, Cassie was both sharp and eager to learn new things and she worked diligently with trainers to overcome any hurdles along the way.
Meanwhile, Paul Sandigo was many years into a career as a first responder—having been an EMT, a U.S. Coast Guard member, and a paramedic.
Responding to the World Trade Center collapse as a paramedic in September 2001, Paul saw the disaster search dogs working at Ground Zero and knew that he wanted to be a search dog handler one day. The dogs who responded with their handlers to that deployment not only brought their much-needed skills to the area, but also brought comfort and optimism to the scene for first responders—something Paul remembers vividly.
Many years after responding to Ground Zero, Paul had become a firefighter with the San Francisco Fire Department and never given up on his dream to be a canine handler himself. After learning about SDF’s program, he was chosen as a handler recruit for California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3), based in Menlo Park. Having been training in preparation for years, Paul was ready for the moment he would be paired with his very own search dog.
Cassie and Paul had a natural partnership—which trainers noticed early on. But with six dogs in his class, Paul was completely surprised to be paired with Cassie and was thrilled by this match. From the first moments as official partners on August 28, 2020, Cassie stood by his side, giving Paul her full attention and waiting for her next command.
They returned home to the Bay Area and continued training together. The team achieved FEMA certification in October 2021 and are prepared to deploy with CA-TF3 at a moment’s notice!