In 2015, SDF Canine Recruiter Kirsten Fulk was visiting shelters in her native Oregon to seek out homeless dogs that might have a future as urban disaster search dogs and hit the jackpot when she stopped at Brightside Animal Shelter in Redmond, OR. Kirsten explained, “The behaviorist at Brightside said she had a dog named Keila who wasn’t available for adoption since she was too driven for the average household and hoped she would be a good fit for our program. I knew when they brought her out that she would be dynamite!”
Kirsten adopted Keila immediately and took her home to her facility, Field of Dreams Boarding and Training Kennel. Once at Kirsten’s, Keila continued her assessments. Kirsten shared, “She did great at her evaluation at the kennel, but once at our facility, she was so excited about being out where she could run she lost all focus. We let her adapt to her new life here at Field of Dreams until we could see that she was ready to try again, and this time, she dazzled us all with her drive and determination. She was soon on her way to SDF’s National Training Center, where she showed the trainers what a gem she was!”
And was she ever! From the get-go, Keila demonstrated to SDF trainers the intelligence, athletic ability, and sweet nature that make the ideal search dog. On May 27, 2016, Keila graduated from SDF’s Search Dog training program.
Brian Girard, Fire Protection Specialist 1 from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control, was looking to be paired with a search dog and had traveled to SDF to participate in a Handler’s Course. Just days into the two-week training, Keila made it crystal clear that he was the one she wanted to work with, and following graduation, she made the trip home to Albany to be Brian’s loyal partner and teammate with New York Task Force 2.
Building on their inseparable bond, the pair continued to hone their search skills in preparation for evaluation by the State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance (SUSAR). In November 2016, they traveled to College Station, TX, for SUSAR testing and successfully achieved basic Type II Certification, making them eligible to deploy when a disaster occurs in their region.
The team’s first call to help came late on April 5, 2017, when an older woman with dementia was reported missing in Bethlehem, NY. Brian and Keila were called to respond with teammates Greg Gould and Dax, and thankfully members of the fire department located the woman, unharmed, in an unoccupied apartment building.
Since then, Brian and Keila have deployed many times at citizens’ greatest time of need:
- June 19, 2017 – Building Collapse – Utica, NY
- September 7, 2017 – Hurricane Irma – Florida
- October 27, 2017 – Missing Person Search – Richmondville, NY
- February 21, 2018 – Flood pre-staging – Malone, NY
- June 18, 2018 – Building Collapse – Poughkeepsie, NY
- August 9, 2018 – Missing Person Search – Waterford, NY
- August 14, 2018 – Flooding – Lodi, NY
- September 9, 2018 – Missing Person Search – Schenectady, NY
- September 3, 2019 – Hurricane Dorian – North Carolina
- April 7, 2020 – Missing Person Search – Rotterdam, NY
- July 25, 2020 – Missing Person Search – Hoosick Falls, NY
- September 6, 2020 – Missing Person Search – Blenheim, NY
- February 21, 2021 – Missing Person Search – Castleton, NY
- June 24, 2021 – Missing Person Search – Sprakers, NY
- August 21, 2021 – Hurricane Henri Pre-staging – Long Island, NY
- September 1, 2021 – Hurricane Ida – Orange County, NJ
- March 1, 2022 – Missing Person Search – Bethlehem, NY
- July 10, 2022 – Missing Person Search – Washington County, NY
- July 12, 2022 – Structure Collapse – Greenwich, NY
- January 25, 2023 – Missing Person Search – Middleport, NY
- August 17, 2023 – Missing Person Search – Catskills, NY
- September 15, 2023 – Missing Person Search – Amsterdam, NY
- November 2, 2023 – Building Explosion – Wappinger Falls, NY
- June 18, 2024 – Building Explosion – Syracuse, NY
- September 25, 2024 – Hurricane Helene – East Coast
- February 22, 2026 – Blizzard Pre-staging – Long Island, NY
The team achieved re-certification in October 2021 and May 2024, proving their skills were still sharp and up to par. They continued to train regularly with their task force in preparation for the next call.
In the spring of 2026, Keila was diagnosed with a form of cancer, and at 12 years of age, the decision was made to make Keila as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. Brian and his teammates gave Keila a formal sendoff on May 6, 2026.
Keila’s life and service will be honored at SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula, CA. We are grateful to both Keila and Brian for all they did for their community and the nation.