Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8)
Agency: Lakeside Fire Protection District
Level: DHS/FEMA Certified
Most Recent Certification: September 17, 2016
Search Dog Info
Breed: Black Lab
Sex: Female
Born: March 7, 2007
Recruited from: City of Stockton Animal Control – Stockton, CA
Sponsor: Susan Rountree
Guardian: Nancy Coker
In September of 2008 opportunity knocked – or rather tail wagged – for Bella. SDF handler Al Duncan of San Francisco’s Presidio Fire Department had responded to a call from the Stockton Animal Shelter about a possible Search Dog candidate. Unfortunately, the first dog he tested did not have the attributes needed in a Search Dog, but as he was putting this first dog back in his kennel, he heard a thump, thump, thump!
There was Bella, a small Black Labrador jumping up and down, her eyes fixed upon the toy in Al’s pocket. He asked permission to test her and throughout the evaluation Bella stayed completely focused on the toy, passing each test with ease.
Bella had been picked up as a stray in Stockton, CA. Eventually her owner’s family identified her, but asked the city to keep her. As it turned out, the dog is a papered AKC Lab whose owner was suffering from dementia and could not manage Bella’s exuberant personality and high energy. The family thought it would be safer not to bring Bella back into the home.
On Al’s recommendation, SDF made arrangements with the shelter to have Bella’s medical clearances done, and within a few days Bella was whisked off to Search Dog “boot camp.”
After eight months of formal training at Sundowners Kennel in Gilroy, CA, Bella was partnered with Richard Smith of the Lakeside Fire Protection District (near San Diego) in March of 2009. Bella moved in with Richard and his family and the pair began training daily in preparation for their FEMA Certification.
In November of 2010, Bella and Richard traveled to New York for their FEMA Certification Evaluation and passed with ease. Teams must test again every three years in order to retain their deployment-ready status and so Bella and Richard achieved Re-Certification in Dayton, OH in October of 2013, and again in Castaic, CA in September of 2016.
The team remains together at all times, training and preparing to respond when an emergency call comes at a moment’s notice as a part of California Task Force 8.