Search Dog Foundation and Hurricane Sandy

Search Dog Foundation

on call and in action

- Hurricane Sandy -

As you will recall... Search Dog Foundation was our Charity of the Month for the month of September... I thought I'd share an update i received from them via email about their good work in the NY / NJ area... 

Text & Photos courtesy of SDF

"Our Search Dog Foundation Search Teams on New York Task Force 2 have been working with Indiana Task Force 1 and Pennsylvania Task Force 1 in Long Beach (Long Island), NY, going from building to building, checking for anyone who may be in need of help.

On Wednesday, Jason Geary and Marsi completed a seven-story apartment building search. Running through the entire complex to pick up the scent of  live humans, Marsi alerted on two elderly women and another resident in two separate apartments. The two women did not hear rescuers calling out, but did find it strange to hear a dog barking. They were surprised when they opened the door to find Marsi wagging her tail wildly at the success of her "find."

SDF handlers John Stewart and Greg Gould helped throughout the day with search operations but did not work their dogs as they were with a different team and the canines were not called in."

Long Beach, New York - In the wake of the storm's wrath

"Our last major deployment in New York was after the 9/11 attacks, when 13 SDF-trained teams spent weeks searching for survivors. Our teams were also deployed to Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti and Japan earthquakes, and many regional disasters and missing person searches all over the nation. After years of intensive training, the dogs are able to focus all their instinct and high-level training on one thing: making sure NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND."

The following FEMA Task Forces are now activated for deployment following Superstorm Sandy:

Indiana Task Force 1

Maryland Task Force 1

Massachusetts Task Force 1

Missouri Task Force 1

Ohio Task Force 1

Pennsylvania Task Force 1

Virginia Task Force 1

Virginia Task Force 2

Tennessee Task Force 1

NY Search Dogs Lani & Marsi enjoy a break from searching

DEPLOYMENT CHRONOLOGY

SUNDAY: At approximately 5:00 pm EST on October 28th, three Albany, NY-based Search Teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation--Greg Gould & Kura, John Stewart & Lani and Jason Geary & Marsi--were called out by New York Task Force 2 to prepare for deployment to Superstorm Sandy. They met the other members of the Task Force on Long Island, where they prepped their gear and made plans for deployment.

MONDAY: October 29 NY Task Force 2 joined crews from Suffolk County Urban Search and Rescue making water rescues in three towns in Suffolk County. Using boats and jet skis to reach stranded households, the Task Force helped bring 70 people and 13 animals to safety.

TUESDAY: October 30 The Task Force spent time in Nassau County where there have been multiple reports of missing persons. Ten other SDF Search Teams (based in Los Angeles and Florida) were also on alert, prepared to deploy if they were called out by their Task Forces.   

THANKS for your good work,
Search Dog Foundation

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September's COTM is... National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

September's 

Charity of the Month is...

National Disaster

Search Dog Foundation

nominated by Cori of Terikor

Article by Cori of Terikor
Photographs used with permission

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) brings new meaning to rescue dogs. Not only are these dogs rescued but also they are given a new job to rescue people.  

That job and the Search Dog Foundation’s mission is to strengthen disaster response in America and across the world by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find humans buried alive in the wreckage of disasters.  

Currently there are 72 Search Dog Foundation teams located in California, Florida, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Baja, California. 

Bill and Hunter

Wilma Melville founded the Search Dog Foundation in 1996.   Wilma and her dog Murphy were deployed to Oklahoma City in 1995 following the terrorist bombing of the Federal Building. What Wilma discovered in Oklahoma was there were not enough certified search dogs/handler teams.  In 1995 there were only 15 advanced Certified disaster search dog/handler teams. Thus began Wilma’s dream to create highly skilled canine search and rescue teams.

Caddy and Jasmine

Today the Search Dog Foundation professionally trains the dogs, their partners as well as provides ongoing training programs at no cost to fire departments. The dogs are ensured a lifetime of care once they are rescued thereby the dogs never need to be rescued again.  

Not all dogs make it through the program but the Search Dog Foundation makes sure that those dogs are provided with forever homes through their Lifetime Care Program.  

SDF Dog in Training

The dogs in the program must display a tremendous amount of drive, energy, determination, boldness, athleticism and the ability to focus on any task given to them. The dogs are toy-crazy, which is important as training is rewarded with special toys. The dogs must learn what is called the “bark alert”, which lets people know there is someone, alive, and possibly unconscious in need of rescue. These dogs must also be able to move very quickly through a pile of rubble as time is of the essence in the wake of a disaster.

SDF Mock Search

The Search Dog Foundation’s teams have assisted in disasters such as Haiti Earthquake, 911, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2011 earthquake in Japan. The teams stand by for any disaster in the country.

The Ladder

Of the 72 canine teams there are only two teams that cover local, national and international disasters. They are the Los Angeles County Task Force 2 and the Fairfax, VA Task Force 1. Each task force is made up of eight canines and handlers.

Nino and Jim

Over the years, Wilma’s dreams have come to fruition.  Every year brings something new to the Search Dog Foundation. Today the Search Dog Foundation is building the first facility totally dedicated to the training of Canine Disaster Search Teams. This National Training Center is located in Santa Paula, CA.

SUPPORT

Search Dog Foundation

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Thank you !