Turning Stray Dogs Into Superheroes

When a recent earthquake devastated Venezuela, the Los Angeles County Fire Department sent six teams to help sift through the wreckage. Among the crisis responders was Greta, a search-and-rescue expert tasked with finding anyone alive in the crumpled buildings. Alongside her partner, Arby Fields, she used her superhero-like senses to detect life buried deep in the piles of concrete. But Greta isn’t just a first responder; she’s a rescue dog, who in turn became a rescuer with the help of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation.

“It was incredible to watch,” says Denise Sanders, senior director of communications and search team operations, describing the connection between Greta and her handler. “It’s almost like watching a dance. They know each other so well. They know each other’s body language. Seeing that while they were on the ground in a country devastated by two earthquakes is something I will never forget.”

The journey for heroes like Greta begins at the Search Dog Foundation’s campus in the foothills of Santa Paula, a community near Santa Barbara and Ojai. With 40 full-time employees and nearly as many active dogs on campus, the organization currently has 104 SDF-trained search teams and works with hundreds more across the country that respond to disasters, including California wildfires, Texas floods, and East Coast hurricanes. “I hope someday there will be technology that can help supplement this quest for survivors after a disaster,” Sanders says. “But as of yet, no piece of technology can match a dog’s nose.”

Deploying Anywhere, Anytime, Helping Anyone Who Needs It

The foundation pairs each dog with a trainer, usually from a fire department. It costs more than $150,000 to train one successful canine through the disaster search program. Once paired, the duo typically stays together after the canine retires, often after a decade with its trainer. “They’re very well taken care of and well loved, which is exactly what they deserve.” Handlers often live in on-site housing during extended trainings with their canines, building even closer bonds despite the added costs.

“We train and place canines with task forces that are able to deploy truly anywhere in the world,” Sanders says. “Being a small organization, we’re able to do big things simply by partnering with these different agencies to make sure that they’re where they need to be when they’re needed.”

Greta did not always feel needed. She was found on the street in Northern California and later moved into a shelter, where her intense obsession with tennis balls and toys hindered her adoption by a family. A high-drive canine can be difficult as a family pet, but with training, it becomes an ideal asset for search work. 

“Greta absolutely excelled from the moment she got here,” says Sanders. “Greta needed to not be told she’s a bad dog anymore; she had to find her place.” 

Now the energetic rescue dog has her place – helping to rescue others.