Search dogs trained and certified in Southern California are being mobilized into people’s backyards, combing through the devastation left by wildfires raging in Los Angeles County.
Five teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation of Ventura County are searching the rubble of homes and businesses destroyed by the Palisades Fire in coastal Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Valley.
Highly trained dogs and human handlers bring their expertise to the Los Angeles area to search for survivors and locate human remains.
The teams being deployed are:
John Munguia & Clifford of Los Angeles County Fire Department Josh Davis & Bosco, Gareth Miller & Reba of California Task Force 3 – Bay Area Urban Search and Rescue Patrick Easton & Linus, Eric Lewen & California Ridge Task Force 7 – Urban Sacramento Search and Rescue
Santa Paula-based Search Dog Foundation trains search and rescue dogs to find victims in disaster areas. Many of the dogs in the program, including those sent to Los Angeles, are rescued from shelters after being surrendered because they have too much energy. They have characteristics that make them ideal recruits.
Search dog Ridge and human handler Eric Lewen search through debris during training at the Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula on July 30, 2024. Training training at the Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula on July 30, 2024. (Search Dog Foundation)
The organization trains and certifies teams, which are sent to fire departments across the country free of charge.
How to help those affected by the LA wildfires
Search Dog Foundation-trained teams were recently deployed to the southeastern United States in the wake of Hurricane Helen, and in 2023 to Turkey to search for debris left behind by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people. visited.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “Many of these wonderful dogs have truly progressed from rescue dogs to rescue dogs and are now on the front line supporting the rescue and recovery efforts of this devastating fire.” said.
Currently, 94 teams are based in nine states and Baja California, Mexico.
Click here to learn more about the team trained and certified by Search Dog Foundation.
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