CANINE HEADED FOR HALL OF FAME SEARCH DOG SKILLS WIN RECOGNITION.Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer VALENCIA - Bella, a 10-year-old disaster search dog, worked for hours sifting through the rubble of the fallen Twin Towers in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of last year, refusing to wear the standard booties that protected search dogs' soft paws from the hot steel. For her work at ground zero, as well as her search efforts after the Oklahoma City federal building was bombed in 1995, the border collie will be honored today at the Hyatt Valencia with an induction into the California Veterinary Medical Association's Hall of Fame. ``I've been doing this for 16 years, and I've lost dogs before, but I don't know what I'd do without Bella,'' said Deresa Teller, Bella's handler and a paramedic par·a·med·ic n. A person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals. paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. . ``I wasn't this close to both my ex-husbands.'' The Simi Valley canine has received numerous awards, and her career has been widely followed, from her battle with cancer to her discovery of the body of a missing Moorpark woman last year. ``It's strange because we train for live (victims), but she's only ever found dead,'' Teller said. Bella discovered four victims in the Oklahoma City bombing See Terrorism "The Oklahoma City Bombing" (Sidebar); Venue "Venue and the Oklahoma City Bombing Case" (Sidebar). and made numerous hits in New York. But the unassuming media darling - who is rewarded with a feisty session with a tug toy after a discovery - will soon retire from disaster searches, Teller said. She will, however, continue with wilderness searches and cadaver cadaver /ca·dav·er/ (kah-dav´er) a dead body; generally applied to a human body preserved for anatomical study.cadav´ericcadav´erous ca·dav·er n. work. ``She truly is a heroine,'' said Shirley Johnston, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences Founded in 1977 with a student body of 36, it now has over 2,000 students. The College of Veterinary Medicine was the first to open in the country in 20 years and the first in Southern California. in Pomona, who nominated Bella for the award. ``She's a cancer survivor and a tireless worker. ``This award is intended to celebrate companion and working animals in California. Bella is just incredible.'' Johnston said as many as 500 guests are expected at the induction ceremony, including veterinarians and search-and-rescue trainers. While it is Bella who will wear the Hall-of-Fame label, Teller was with the dog on every job and witnessed some painful images. ``Oklahoma City seemed more real (than the Twin Towers) because it wasn't so big,'' Teller said. ``In Oklahoma City you could see computers, chairs, telephones in the rubble. In New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , nothing. There was nothing left. And in Oklahoma we dealt more with the public, people would bring photos of those who were lost. ``It was just heart-wrenching. I purposely did not go see the photos of the missing in New York. The job that I've had has made me tougher,'' she said. ``But I try not to dwell on to continue long on or in; to remain absorbed with; to stick to; to make much of; as, to dwell upon a subject; a singer dwells on a note s>. - Shak. See also: Dwell the tragic things that happened. If you dwell on that, it just breaks you down.'' Teller is looking to one of Bella's grandsons to eventually take over the disaster search work, but admits that Bella will continue to be smothered smoth·er v. smoth·ered, smoth·er·ing, smoth·ers v.tr. 1. a. To suffocate (another). b. To deprive (a fire) of the oxygen necessary for combustion. 2. in love and treats. ``After the ceremony, I'll give her a toy for a while,'' Teller said. ``And she likes food, don't get me wrong. She's put on a few pounds. She's been a little piggy lately.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Bella will be inducted into the California Veterinary Medical Association's Hall of Fame today. She worked the Oklahoma City and Twin Towers bombings. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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