Search Teams

Our Search Teams

Baja California Task Force 3 (BC-TF3)

California Regional Task Force 7 (CA-RTF7) Ventura County

California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1) Los Angeles City

California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) Los Angeles County

California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) Bay Area

California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4) Oakland

California Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) Orange County

California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7) Sacramento

California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8) San Diego

Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)

New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2)

Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OK-TF1)

Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)

Barney & Lauren Canning

Barney & Lauren Canning

 

Team Info

 

Task Force: California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3)
Agency: San Francisco Fire Department
Level: Certified

 

 

Search Dog Info

 

Breed: Black Labrador
Sex: Male
Born: September 12, 2019
Recruited from Retrieving Freedom, Inc.

 

 

A breeder donated Barney to Retrieving Freedom, Inc. at eight weeks old. He had been training for a career in canine assistance work, but as he matured, the training team noticed Barney was intensely focused on toys. Barney’s toy obsession and lack of a natural “off-switch” led trainers to believe he would excel as a search dog. They contacted SDF, and Barney was evaluated and accepted into our training program.    

 

Once at SDF’s National Training Center, it was a surprise to no one that a career as a service dog was not the right path for Barney! Loud, boisterous, wild, and driven, Barney is a very intense dog in all the best ways for a career in search and rescue. With confidence and intelligence matching his physicality, Barney quickly progressed through his foundational skills and dove into advanced skills, which he also mastered in an impressive amount of time. SDF trainers always had a blast working with Barney, even if his style of toy play was a full-contact sport! Barney is a great all-around dog who will make a fantastic partner to his handler and a great companion at home.  

 

On May 12, 2022, Barney was paired with Firefighter/Paramedic Lauren Canning of the San Francisco Fire Department and California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3).  

 

Lauren wanted to be a paramedic since her teens, but as a young female, she didn’t know it was possible to become a firefighter. Inspired by her father, she enrolled in an EMT class at 18 years old and worked in that field while also lifeguarding and teaching swimming lessons. She was still struggling while working three jobs, though, so she quit and went into sales, a more lucrative financial path. But although the money was good, the job made her miserable, so with the encouragement of her family, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of becoming a firefighter/paramedic.   

 

Lauren says she was drawn to the profession because she’s always been into sports and competition and is a bit of an adrenaline junkie. She’s also had a longtime interest in medicine, so combining these parts of her personality seemed an excellent fit for a first responder. Lauren had a great mentor in retired firefighter/paramedic Kelly Chulick who worked with her for several years to help her achieve her goals. She officially became a paramedic in 2016 and a firefighter in 2017.   

 

Ever since entering the EMS field, Lauren’s always loved watching the first responders with their canines. Though most of her early experience was with police K9s, she was always amazed at what the dogs could do. Then as a young firefighter, she got her first assignment with SDF USAR canine team Eli Thomas and Vader. When not training for fires and medical calls, they would run canine training drills in the firehouse, and she fell in love with Vader and his fantastic work.   

 

Lauren started attending CA-TF3 canine training sessions a few years before applying to be a Canine Search Specialist (CSS), so she knew it would take a lot of commitment. At that time, she and her wife were trying to start a family and wanted to wait for Lauren to become a CSS until their child was a little bit older. As the old expression goes, “We plan, God laughs.” There is no perfect timing. Now Lauren and her wife have both a new baby and a young search dog in the house at the same time!  

 

Although it’s been challenging, Lauren does not regret her decision to pursue canine handling. Even though her first day of training with Barney was extremely frustrating because she couldn’t get him to listen, she secretly wanted him to be her partner. Fortunately, Barney seemed to agree. He and Lauren continued working together from that day and eventually sealed the deal on their partnership.  

 

The team achieved FEMA certification in November 2022 and are ready to deploy nationwide with CA-TF3. 

 

Lauren and Barney continued to train weekly with their task force teammates to prepare for different disaster scenarios in preparation for the call to action. Then in October 2024, they pre-deployed with CA-TF3 to Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall as a major storm. We wish Lauren and Barney, as well as everyone responding to the recent hurricane activity, a successful mission and speedy return!