Founded
in 1996, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) is a
non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen America's
emergency response network by producing the most highly-trained
canine-firefighter disaster search teams in the nation. SDF
recruits rescued dogs and partners them with firefighters,
providing the canines and the training at no cost to their
departments. SDF receives no government funding and relies
solely on support from individuals, private foundations and
companies to produce these highly-skilled teams.
SDF has rescued hundreds of dogs, many
on the brink of euthanasia. They have trained 105 Search Teams,
72 of which are currently active. SDF-trained search teams are
located in California, Florida, New York, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Thanks to Mutual Aid Agreements between counties, cities, and
states, these precious, life-saving resources can be shared
regionally and nationally.
Search Dog Foundation teams have been
deployed to 66 disasters including the World Trade Center
attacks and Hurricane Katrina and state and local emergencies
such as earthquakes, mudslides, building collapses, train
derailments and missing person searches. Eight of SDF's teams
are members of CA-TF2 and are ready at all times for immediate
deployment overseas when called upon by the Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance. Please visit their website for photographs,
videos, and information about the search teams
www.searchdogfoundation.org
The National Disaster Search Dog
Foundation ensures lifetime care for every dog in their program:
once rescued, these dogs never need to be rescued again. |
