Paws on the Ground - Los Angeles Fires: Meet Ridge
PAWS ON THE GROUND - LOS ANGELES FIRES: MEET RIDGE
Ridge was recruited from the Tooele City Animal Shelter, and from the start, he blew everyone away with his unstoppable drive. When it comes to working dogs, Ridge is the complete package: thoughtful, focused, and intense when it comes to his work, yet relaxed and cuddly in his downtime!
In July 2024, Ridge was partnered with Eric Lieuwen of Sacramento County Airport Fire. Together, the pair trained diligently, and achieved certification as members of California US&R Task Force 7 just last month, in December 2024.
Ridge and Eric have now deployed to the Los Angeles area in the wake of the fires that continue to impact the region. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by these fires, and we offer our deepest gratitude to the many rescuers who have answered the callโtraveling from both near and farโto help others in the midst of these tragic events. โค๏ธ
Click the link below for updates on this deployment as the situation develops. #losangelesfires #firstresponders #disasterresponse #eatonfire #palisadesfire #hurstfire
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/los-angeles-fires/
Paws on the Ground - Los Angeles Fires: Meet Linus
PAWS ON THE GROUND - LOS ANGELES FIRES: MEET LINUS
When Linus' original owners could no longer keep him, they decided to donate him to a service dog organizationโDomesti-PUPSโrather than surrender him to a shelter. However, the Domesti-Pups team soon realized that Linus' intensely energetic personality would be better suited for a more active career. They reached out to SDF, and upon seeing his dogged determination and drive, we knew Linus would be a great fit for our search program!
Linus is intelligent, attentive, and incredibly athleticโhe's a powerhouse when it comes to his work, but best of all, this affectionate boy has a ton of heart and gives his all both on and off the rubble. In September 2022, Linus graduated and was partnered with Patrick Easton of the Sacramento Fire Department, and together, the pair achieved certification as members of California US&R Task Force 7.
Linus and Patrick have now deployed to the Los Angeles fires to assist with rescue efforts where needed. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by these devastating fires, and we send our immense thanks to all the rescuers who are working tirelessly to aid those in need. โค๏ธ
Click the link below for updates on this deployment as the situation develops. #losangelesfires #firstresponders #disasterresponse #eatonfire #palisadesfire #hurstfire
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/los-angeles-fires/
PAWS ON THE GROUND - LOS ANGELES FIRES: MEET REVA
Reva was initially raised in an apartment, but her size and energy levels soon outgrew the small space. Her owners decided to surrender her to Outreach Pawsabilities Inc. in Utah, where she was discovered by an SDF recruiter. The recruiter knew Reva would be a strong candidate for our program when she nearly knocked him over trying to get the toy he was holdingโjust the kind of drive we're looking for!
Reva was flown to SDF's campus by volunteer pilots, and here, she mastered the skills she would need to become the highly trained search dog she is today! In December 2021, Reva graduated and was paired with San Francisco Fire Department Assistant Deputy Chief Garreth Miller, and together they achieved certification with California Task Force 3 - Urban Search & Rescue Team. In October 2024, the team deployed to Hurricane Milton to aid citizens in need in the aftermath of the storm.
Reva and Garreth have now deployed to the Los Angeles fires to provide assistance as rescue and recovery efforts continue in the midst of these tragic events. We continue to keep the affected communities in our thoughts during this difficult time, and we send our gratitude to all the rescuers, both two- and four-legged, working to help those affected by the fires. โค๏ธ
Click the link below for updates on this deployment as the situation develops. #losangelesfires #firstresponders #disasterresponse #eatonfire #palisadesfire #hurstfire
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/los-angeles-fires/
PAWS ON THE GROUND - LOS ANGELES FIRES: MEET BOSCO
Bosco initially started training as a service dog by Dogs for Better Lives (DBL), but his rambunctious personality wasn't ideal for that line of work. Luckily, high-energy dogs are just our typeโBosco was evaluated for search dog potential, and passed the assessment with flying colors!
Here, Bosco impressed trainers with his dogged determination, focus, and intensity while searching for his missing person. Upon graduating, he was partnered with San Francisco Fire Department firefighter Joshua Davis, and together, they achieved certification as members of California Task Force 3 - Urban Search & Rescue Team, enabling them to deploy with their task force when disaster strikes. In October 2024, the team put their skills to the test when they deployed to Hurricane Milton to aid citizens in the aftermath of the storm.
Bosco and Joshua have now deployed to the Los Angeles fires to assist rescue efforts in the wake of the fires affecting the area. As we continue to hold in our thoughts the communities impacted by these devastating fires, we send our gratitude to all the rescuers, both two- and four-legged, working around the clock to help those in need. โค๏ธ
Click the link below for updates on this deployment as the situation develops. #losangelesfires #firstresponders #disasterresponse #eatonfire #palisadesfire #hurstfire
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/los-angeles-fires/
PAWS ON THE GROUND - LOS ANGELES FIRES: MEET CLIFFORD
Clifford was donated to SDF by Kolfyre Labs in Wyoming, and he quickly won the hearts of our team, impressing trainers with his thoughtful approach to instruction. His desire to hunt is off the chartsโhe will hunt all day if you let himโand he confidently tackles any search problem put in front of him.
In April 2022, Clifford graduated as a human remains detection dog and was paired with Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter Jon Munguia. The team achieved certification with La County Fire Search Dogs, INC. (CA-TF2) in March 2023, and that same year, the team deployed to Hawaii in the aftermath of the tragic Maui wildfires. In June 2024, they responded to the New Mexico wildfires that afflicted the state, and later that year deployed to Hurricane Helene to provide assistance in the aftermath of the storm.
Clifford and Jon have now deployed to the Los Angeles area to assist recovery efforts amidst the devastating fires that continue to burn throughout the region. We hold all those affected by these fires in our thoughts, and we send our deepest thanks to the many rescuers who have answered the call to help others in the midst of this tragic event. โค๏ธ
Click the link below for updates on this deployment as the situation develops. #losangelesfires #firstresponders #disasterresponse #eatonfire #palisadesfire #hurstfire
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/los-angeles-fires/
At the Search Dog Foundation, we believe in finding the right home for every dog who enters our programโand they need your help while on their journeys to find their "fur-ever" homes!
๐ถ We're looking for dog lovers interested in helping our adoptable dogs and canine candidates find their way into permanent homes through temporary foster arrangements!
๐ก When you sign on as a foster, you're giving dogs the opportunity to try out their "home life" skills in a real-life home setting. Even a short, two-week "stay-cation" in a home can be an incredibly valuable experience for our dogs, and helps them better acclimate to home life once they've been adopted or paired with a first responder handler!
๐พ If you can't imagine your life without dogs, but you're not able or ready to commit to having a dog full-time, this is a great opportunity to add more dog to your life, without a long-term commitment!
โค๏ธ All food, meds, veterinary care and training tools are covered and provided by SDF, and we are here to support you and our dogs throughout the entire process. Whether you're an experienced or first-time foster, SDF will make sure you have what you need to succeed!
๐ค Ready to be #PartOfTheSearch? Head to our websiteโlinked belowโto learn more about becoming a Foster Friend for SDF!
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/foster-friends/
๐๏ธ Disasters are often unpredictable, and similarly, so are their aftermaths! There's no way to know exactly what the scene of a disaster will look like until first responders arrive and assess the situationโso how do we prepare our teams for these disaster scenarios? The short answer is, we train them for anything and everything we can think of!
All throughout SDF's campus are training areas designed to simulate the aftermaths of disasters, as well as a variety of props which help our dogs become familiar with similar objects, environments, or obstacles they may encounter while deployed. โ๏ธ In order to best prepare our teams for anything that may come their way during a deployment, our training areas and collection of training props are always growing and evolving, and the latest addition to our training arsenal is this roof collapse prop, designed to emulateโyou guessed itโslippery roof tiles, thanks to a generous donation from our friends at Brava Roof Tile!
Canine candidate Toby is already having a blast with the new training prop, and we have peace of mind knowing that the next time one of our search dogs encounters a fallen roof while traversing a rubble pile, they'll be able to navigate it with confidence! ๐ช
Over the past few months, we've enjoyed sharing progress updates on our kennel expansion projectโan exciting campus improvement that will expand our capacity to house canine residentsโand now, we're thrilled to share that the new kennels are finally complete! ๐ Our dogs are already thoroughly enjoying the new spaces, which were designed to allow greater visibility between neighboring pups. This design is great for our social butterflies, who love checking in and saying "hello" to their neighbors! It's been so exciting seeing this project come to fruition, knowing that as our organization grows, our campus continues to grow and evolve right alongside us!
What goes into the pairing of a lifesaving search team?
What goes into the ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด of a lifesaving search team?
As canine and handler candidates work together throughout SDF's Handler Training Program, candidates are not only learning the skills they'll need when called upon to help others in the wake of a disasterโthey're also establishing that all-important ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป-๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ!
That bond is so important that at SDF, we let each graduating search dog choose their own partner based on the ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ they have made with handler candidates throughout the program!
We then celebrate the newly paired teams at a special graduation ceremony on SDF's campus, where search dog graduates and their human counterparts cross SDF's stage to become official ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐!
From recruitment to pairing, each step of a search dog's journey is made possible thanks to ๐๐ผ๐, our incredible community of supporters. โค๏ธ
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป-๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒโ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐!
#makingofasearchteam #youmakeitpossible
How do first responders become part of a lifesaving canine search team?
How do ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ become part of a lifesaving canine search team?
Handler candidates travel from around the country to SDF's National Training Center to take part in our ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ, whereโover several monthsโhandler and canine candidates train side by side and create lifelong bonds as they learn to work together as a human-canine team, developing the skills they'll need when called to duty in the wake of a disaster. ๐ช
We're incredibly proud of the important work our teams do, and that work begins with ๐๐ผ๐!
๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐! โค๏ธ
#makingofasearchteam #youmakeitpossible
Help them find a home for the holidays! โค๏ธ At the Search Dog Foundation, we believe in finding the right home for every dog who enters our programโthis season, we're looking for foster volunteers interested in helping out our dogs through temporary foster arrangements, so they can have a home for the holidays! โ๏ธ
๐ฒ When you sign on as a foster, you're helping dogs find their way into permanent homes by giving them the opportunity to try out their "home life" skills in a real-life home setting. Even a short, two-week "stay-cation" in a home can be an incredibly valuable experience for our dogs, and helps them better acclimate to home life once they've been adopted or paired with a first responder handler!
โ๏ธ If you can't imagine your life without dogs, but you're not able or ready to commit to having a dog full-time, this is a great opportunity to add more dog to your life, without a long-term commitment!
๐งฃ All food, meds, veterinary care and training tools are covered and provided by SDF, and we are here to support you and our dogs throughout the entire process. Whether you're an experienced or first-time foster, SDF will make sure you have what you need to succeed!
๐ Ready to help a deserving pup go home for the holidays? Head to our websiteโlinked belowโto learn more about becoming a Foster Friend for SDF this holiday season and beyond! ๐ท #homefortheholidays
https://www.searchdogfoundation.org/foster-friends/
What canine lifestyle makes a lifesaving search team?
What ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ makes a lifesaving search team?
At SDF's campus, our pups enjoy doggy play groups, hikes, collaborative toy play, enrichment boxes, fun and challenging training activities, relaxing reading time with volunteers, and more!
Providing our dogs with plenty of ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ supports an ๐ฒ๐ป๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ which allows our dogs to ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ in their training, and most importantly, it supports the well-being of our pups and ensures they're ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐, ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ and ๐ณ๐๐น๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ!
SDF is committed to giving every dog in our program the ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, and that starts with ๐๐ผ๐โour incredible community of supporters who make our work possible! โค๏ธ
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต-๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐๐น๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒโ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐!
#makingofasearchteam #youmakeitpossible
