I came to know about the Search Dog Foundation because of Hurricane Katrina.
Their mission, straight from their home page:
The mission of the Search Dog Foundation is to produce the most highly trained canine disaster search teams in the nation. The job of these teams is to find people buried alive in the wreckage of natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Check out their FAQ to learn more about what they do and what it takes to train a search dog. Here are some excerpts:
SDF recruits dogs from across the country that are rescued from abuse or abandonment. Typically these dogs demonstrate high energy, tenacity and boldness, making them ideal for search and rescue, but unsuitable for a family pet. After passing stringent screening and testing criteria, the dogs are then trained to harness that high energy, drive and tenacity into life-saving skills.
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When the dogs are ready (and not before), they receive six months of professional training before being teamed with a handler. Since the dog comes to the handler completely trained, the time it takes for the handler/dog search team to attain FEMA Advanced Certification is significantly reduced. A process that often took two or more years now takes 11 to 14 months.
How long does it take to train a dog?
The initial cost to create one canine-firefighter team is $10,000 for the following.If you can, please support these unsung heroes who train up dogs to serve this vital role in search and rescue operations.
Canine Recruitment and Prep Home Stay for evaluation and socialization (1 to 2 months);
Canine Boot Camp (6 to 8 months);
Handler’ Course (14 days);
First Year Training toward Certification (1-2 years);
Ongoing Training to maintain top deployment readiness (8 years);
Lifetime Care in a loving home upon retirement.
The firefighters can’t do this without their dogs, and we can’t do this without your help. Your tax-deductible gift, small or large, will help fuel the hope that people count on in time of need.
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