With friends and family cheering them on, six new Canine Disaster Search Teams joined the elite roster of urban search and rescue responders at the Search Dog Foundation’s (SDF) National Training Center on Friday, September 27, 2019.
These new teams will follow in the foot and paw prints of generations who came before them to prepare for federal and state certification. After attaining certification, the teams will be eligible to deploy with their respective task forces in the wake of disasters such as earthquakes, mudslides, and hurricanes, searching for survivors in the rubble and debris.
The new Canine Disaster Search Teams joining our nation’s disaster response network are:
Travis Calka & Hopper (Los Angeles County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
Eric Gray & Waffles (Santa Barbara County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
Steve MacDonald & Molly (Nebraska Task Force 1)
Sean Quigley & Geno (Los Angeles County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
Rudy Valencia & Topa (Berkeley Fire Department/California Task Force 4 – Oakland)
Damon Wirth & Koa (Lincoln Fire-Rescue/Nebraska Task Force 1)
These handlers spent the past two weeks in intensive academy-style training to master the basics of canine handling, as well as more advanced theories on scenting and search strategy. Three handlers, Eric Gray, Steve MacDonald, and Damon Wirth, are veteran handlers who received the leash to their second search dog partners from SDF. Even prior to this Handler Course, the three new handlers, Travis Calka, Sean Quigley, and Rudy Valencia, have trained for months with their task force teammates and SDF-trained search dogs at their home training sites. After working with several of the 15 canine candidates currently in training at SDF, the handlers were partnered with their new search dogs in a special “passing of the leash” ceremony Friday morning.
“These dogs are incredibly hard working, fun-loving and an absolute pleasure to work with,” shared SDF Canine Training Manager Mandy Tisdale. “Seeing them bond with their new handlers throughout the last two weeks of our Handler Course has been a true privilege and while it’s bittersweet to send them home together, we look forward to all the good these new canine disaster search teams are going to provide to their communities, the country and the world.”
See video of the Search Team Graduation Ceremony here!
We are grateful to California Task Force 2, California Task Force 4 and Nebraska Task Force 1, as well as each handler’s fire department, for their support of these teams as they entered the selection process, completed this initial training and as they continue on this journey together to Certification and eventual deployment to help others in the aftermath of disasters.
We would also like to thank:
- Western Hills Humane Society in South Dakota for rescuing Search Dog Topa.
- Murray Animal Shelter in Utah for rescuing Search Dog Molly.
- Kellee and Tim Matthews of the South Dakota Canine Center for recruiting Search Dog Topa.
- Trevor Lawrence for recruiting Search Dogs Koa and Molly.
- Greg Strickland for recruiting Search Dog Geno.
- Ventura County Animal Services in California for rescuing Search Dog Waffles.
- Doris and Howard Busloff for sponsoring Search Dog Waffles.
- The Joel and Dena Gambord Foundation for sponsoring Search Dogs Hopper and Koa, as well as an incredible 22 total SDF Search Dogs through the years.
- The Westlake Women’s Club-CFWC for sponsoring Search Dog Hopper.
- Ann Cooluris for sponsoring Search Dog Topa.
- Tracy & Rascal for sponsoring Search Dog Molly.
See more photos of the graduation ceremony below:
