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)

Sadie (2010 - 2024)

Sadie (2010 – 2024)

A beautiful Black Lab, Sadie’s story is a bit different from our usual SDF recruitment tales. She was discovered by long-time SDF supporter Nona Bauer in La Belle, MO in January 2011. At the time, Sadie was only a few months old and too young to begin Search Dog training but had enough spirit and drive to make Nona think she would be a good candidate. Nona adopted Sadie for us, and she was entrusted to Jeff and Jill Wenig of Santa Paula, CA as a prep home.

Friends to SDF Founder Wilma Melville, the Wenigs have in fact been the prep home to three of our Search Dogs over the years, caring for them and preparing them for their lives as service dogs until they are old enough to begin formal training. Jeff said, “Sadie was sweet and loving from the moment she got out of the car after her long drive from Missouri.  Her kind disposition lasted for the several months she lived with Jill and me.  In those early months there was no way, other than her genealogy, that she would become the search demon that I am told she is today.”

Sadie began formal training at the Prep Kennel in Castaic with SDF trainer Kellee Matthews in March 2011, and spent a couple of months learning the important building blocks of becoming a Search Dog – obedience skills, toy tug, and alert barking. When Sadie was transferred to our formal training center in Gilroy, she was ready to get to work. And work she did, being coached five days a week by trainers at Sundowners Kennel in preparation for graduating as a Search Dog.

In May 2012, Sadie was partnered with her first firefighter-handler, John Stewart, of the Saratoga Springs Fire Department in New York. The team worked rigorously with New York Task Force 2, training throughout the week to prepare for their State Urban Search and Rescue Association (SUSAR) Certification that enabled teams to deploy with their task force. In July 2013, John and Sadie achieved their basic SUSAR Type II Certification and by September earned their advanced SUSAR Type I Certification in Windsor Locks, CT. In November 2014, Sadie and John, along with their teammates were called when a severe snowstorm hit Erie County, NY. The team spent 6 days searching mobile homes and inspecting buildings. After feeling confident no one was left behind, the teams were released from the scene and got some well-needed rest.

Several months later, John decided to step down from the canine program, but Sadie still had many years left in her career. The decision was made to have Sadie return to California to be re-partnered with an appropriate match.

She spent some time at SDF’s National Training Center refining her skills and was then paired with Captain Doug Van Iwaarden of the Orange County Fire Authority in January 2016. A veteran handler, Doug has made a fine match for Sadie. By living and working with Doug, the two formed an important bond that enables the team to understand one another’s body language and perform at their best while on the search. These two, perfectly paired, achieved Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Certification in Littleton, MA, on June 5, 2016, and achieved their second recertification in Dayton, Ohio on July 8, 2022.

Sadie and Doug deployed on the following missions together:

  • April 27, 2017 – Missing Person Search – Irvine, CA
  • June 17, 2017 – Vehicle Crash – Yorba Linda, CA
  • August 25, 2017 – Hurricane Harvey – Texas & Louisiana
  • January 9, 2018 – Mudslides – Montecito, CA
  • March 20, 2018 – Mudslide pre-staging – Santa Barbara, CA
  • November 16, 2018 – Camp Fire – Paradise, CA

At 13 years of age, Sadie was only beginning to slow down as she and Doug continued to routinely attend task force training and prepare for disaster scenarios with their teammates.

Sadly, Sadie suddenly became ill, and Doug was dealt the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. Sadie peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 18, 2024. Following an incredibly successful career, Sadie’s passing was a bit of a shock and very difficult for her friends and teammates. She was a sweet-natured girl and a wonderful search dog, and we are grateful for her life and service. Sadie will be deeply missed.