Tag Archives: search and rescue dogs

What Makes a Good Search and Rescue Dog?

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is on a mission. They are rescuing dogs, training them to save lives, and sending them out to work with firefighters and other emergency workers. This is the search dog pledge: no one is left behind. Most candidates for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation come from shelters and breed-specific rescue groups. Dogs who are adopted by the SDF are guaranteed a lifetime of care — whether or not they work out as search and rescue dogs. Dogs that don’t complete the program are placed in loving forever homes. Active search dogs that retire … Continue reading →

September 11th Search and Rescue Dogs: Six Years Later

After September 11, 2001, more than three hundred fifty dogs lent ears, eyes, and noses to the search and rescue effort. One hundred of those dogs were deployed by FEMA; the rest came from search and rescue programs around the country. It was the largest deployment of search dogs in United States history. We may never have an exact count of all the four-legged heroes from around the country who helped sift through the rubble of the World Trade Center and Pentagon. What we do have and will always have is a shining example of human and animal cooperation. Human … Continue reading →