Former shelter dogs on the front lines of Los Angeles wildfire search efforts
Search dogs that were trained and certified in Southern California have been mobilized in their own backyard, combing through the devastation left behind by the wildfires raging in Los Angeles County.
Five teams that were trained by the Search Dog Foundation in Ventura County are searching the rubble of homes and businesses destroyed by the Palisades Fire in coastal L.A. and the Eaton Fire in the San Gabriel Valley.
The highly trained dogs and their human handlers are bringing their expertise to the Los Angeles area, searching for living survivors as well as human remains detection.
Teams that have been deployed include:
- Jon Munguia & Clifford of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
- Josh Davis & Bosco and Garreth Miller & Reva of California Task Force 3 – Urban Search and Rescue in the Bay Area
- Patrick Easton & Linus and Eric Lieuwen & Ridge of California Task Force 7 – Urban Search and Rescue in Sacramento
The Search Dog Foundation, based in Santa Paula, trains search-and-rescue dogs to locate victims in disaster areas. Many of the dogs in the program, including some deployed in L.A., were rescued from shelters after being surrendered for having too much energy — a trait that makes them ideal recruits for search and rescue.
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Search dog Ridge and his human handler, Eric Lieuwen, search rubble in a training exercise at Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula on July 30, 2024. (Search Dog Foundation) -
Search dog Ridge and his human handler, Eric Lieuwen, search rubble in a training exercise at Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula on July 30, 2024. (Search Dog Foundation)
The organization trains and certifies teams that are then deployed to fire departments nationwide free of charge.
Search Dog Foundation-trained teams have recently been deployed in the American Southeast following Hurricane Helene, and traveled to Turkey in 2023 to search the rubble left from a 7.8 earthquake that killed tens of thousands.
“Many of these incredible dogs have truly gone from rescued shelter dog to rescuer, now on the front lines helping with rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of these devastating fires,” a spokesperson for the organization said.
Currently, there are 94 teams stationed across nine states and Baja California, Mexico.
For more information about the teams trained and certified by Search Dog Foundation, click here.