Search Dog Foundation Lifetime Care Commitment

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The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) rescues many dogs each year, training most of them to be search and rescue dogs. However, for those that do not meet the requirements for working with a fire department or FEMA team, the Search Dog Foundation has made a commitment to find them loving homes and ensure their well-being for the rest of their lives.  Join FDNNTV.com's Barbara Brooks to find out more about the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation's Lifetime Care program.

The Search Dog Foundation works with shelters, breed rescue groups and service dog agencies across the country to recruit their canines. But only about 10 percent of the dogs recruited actually make it through the program and become search dogs. It is called 'falling out' and it often happens in the first couple of months of training.

"The dogs often lose drive because what we thought was drive is just this anxiety of a shelter dog to be loved and to be played with. And when we satisfy that in our training at the kennel the dog says 'OK, been there, done that' and they want to be a lap dog only," explains Pluis Davern the lead trainer of the Sundowners Training Kennels.

That's when a decision is made whether or not the canine can have a career change into another form of service. "They could go into detection work or customs, you know, police work. If they still have a lot of drive because it's not quite so independent as what we ask of the dogs as a search dog," said Ellen Paiva of the Lifetime Care Program. 

Once in Lifetime Care the dogs are retrained to become an obedient pet suitable for someone's home.  SDF only offers Lifetime Care to homes in California so they are able to keep in close contact with the families that have adopted their special dogs.


Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com