Team Info
Task Force: Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)
Level: Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Male
Born: June 10, 2017
Donated by Kim Newman
Sponsors: Lenny and Squiggy
Jax was surrendered to the Humane Society of Utah by his original family due to his high energy level, which had deemed him “unmanageable.” This spunky black Labrador/German Shorthaired Pointer mix was then adopted by a new family that also struggled with his overabundance of energy. So, after just one week, Jax returned to the shelter where, thankfully, SDF recruiter Trevor Lawrence discovered him when searching for SDF canine recruits. He was flown to us by volunteer pilot Sean Moran and began his formal training as a search dog.
Jax originally graduated in 2020, but that placement ended up not being the best fit for him. So, on November 12, 2021, we were thrilled to see him thriving with Virginia Task Force 2 veteran handler Karen Meadows and enjoying every moment of training alongside his new partner!
The team achieved certification with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in April of 2022 and has deployed on the following missions to-date:
- September 2022 – Hurricane Ian – Florida
- September 2024 – Hurricane Helene – North Carolina
- October 2024 – Hurricane Milton – Florida
We are grateful to Jax and Karen for their service to the nation and look forward to watching their careers continue to unfold!