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Webber & Cory Baldovin

Webber & Cory Baldovin

 

Team Info

 

Task Force: California Task Force 2
Agency: Los Angeles County Fire Department
Level: In training to certify

 

 

Search Dog Info

 

Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Male
Born: June 27, 2022
Recruited from a private donor
Sponsors: Rosanne Crane, Carol A George, Walter Kalback

 

 

Cory Baldovin’s journey into first response began as a Lifeguard with the Orange County Lifeguards, where he developed a passion for helping the community and gained valuable experience in emergency response. This enjoyable summer job evolved into a fulfilling career with the Fire Department, an occupation he continues to find rewarding in every aspect. 

 

From his early days in the academies, he harbored a desire to be part of the USAR program. He recognized the immense value of the program’s training for his daily work and the unique opportunity it presented to be part of an elite task force capable of deploying worldwide. Growing up with dogs, Cory appreciated their companionship. While acknowledging the increased discipline and training required for a working canine, he understands that, at its core, it’s still a dog. He finds it amazing to witness the bond that forms and considers it an honor to bring his best friend to work each day. 

 

Cory learned about SDF through his task force and as a prior SDF canine handler. Having previous experience with a canine partner, he approached the pairing process with an open mind, though he admits to having a hopeful eye on one particular dog among the potential matches. 

 

A memorable moment solidified his hopes for a specific partnership. During a training day, this particular dog, instead of eagerly rushing out of the kennel to begin searching, playfully pushed his way out and licked his face as many times as he could before Cory could put the collar on. This interaction left Cory and onlookers with a strong sense that a perfect partnership was in the making. 

 

Cory views graduating from SDF as just the beginning. His immediate goal is to pass the FEMA Canine Search Team test, enabling them to deploy to disaster sites globally. This will require significant ongoing training and obedience work. In the long term, Cory looks forward to his canine partner, Webber, joining his other (almost retired) search dog, Diva, in enjoying a happy home life filled with beach walks and hikes. Together, they will keep each other young while remaining ready for their next deployment. 

 

Webber was raised by his owner since puppyhood, but when she fell ill, she asked a family member to find him a new home instead of sending him to a shelter. An SDF recruiter saw Webber’s adoption ad in a local paper and went to meet him. Soon after, Webber was on his way to SDF to start training.  

 

“Enthusiastic,” “endearing,” and “joyful” are all adjectives that spring to mind when thinking about Webber. Webber is the class clown, always doing something to make his trainers laugh, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working hard! Whether racing around the direction control field, navigating a tricky rubble pile, or executing an agility pattern, Webber always gives it his best.  

 

A quintessential yellow Labrador with a lot of spunk and drive, his toy play is intense but naturally collaborative, making him fun to play with. He has a nice bark alert, which he enjoys showing off when searching barrels. Trainers were impressed by Webber’s progression as he quickly picked up search criteria and continued to improve. Webby is also a riot to be around. Laughs aren’t in short supply around this boy. Webber is a special dog, and we were thrilled when he found his new human partner, veteran SDF handler Cory Baldovin of California Task Force 2. They were paired on April 5, 2025.