Search Teams Offer New Life To Rescued Dogs

That bored, tail chasing dog in the animal shelter may be the best candidate to be a search and rescue dog.

Some dogs have issues — they’re normally the ones that can be found chewing anything they can get their teeth into or spinning in circles like whirling dervishes.

While these character traits are too draining for most pet owners, they are actually positive attributes in the eyes of those charged with finding the country’s finest search dogs.

However, selecting the right dog is only half the battle. With intense training programs required for both dog and handler, there’s currently a severe shortage of Advanced Certified canine search teams in the United States.

A total of 336 FEMA Advanced Certified canine search teams—12 for each of 28 FEMA Task Forces—are needed to adequately respond to disasters, according to the California.-based Search Dog Foundation. There are currently only 150 such teams in the nation.

As part of efforts to boost canine recruitment, the SDF hosted a "Bark Force" training event at the South San Francisco Fire Department on Saturday, designed to teach members of the public how to evaluate potential search dogs.

Most are taken directly from shelters, with the SDF, a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, then giving the dog professional training before partnering them with firefighters at no cost to departments.

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SOURCE: Homeland1

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