RESCUE, THEN SEARCH ANIMAL-SHELTER DOGS TURN INTO POTENTIAL LIFESAVERS.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News Jezzie was dead dog walking as she paced in her cage at an Ohio animal- control facility the day she was scheduled to be euthanized. The black Labrador mix was deemed not adoptable - too feisty and spirited to be a family pet. But Jezzie got a last-minute reprieve reprieve (rĭprēv`): in law, see pardon. when a local pet-rescue organization sprung her and sent her to a new life with the Search Dog Foundation. After six months of professional training, Jezzie was given to Antonio Galvan, a firefighter in Tijuana, Mexico. The two train twice a week with other teams learning to find lost hikers and victims in collapsed buildings, landslides and other disasters. Teams trained by the Search Dog Foundation have participated in searches at the World Trade Center following 9-11 and the La Conchita mudslides earlier this year. Last week, 40 rescue dogs and their handlers met at the ``Metacam IronDog.'' At the five-day event, canine-search teams practiced search-and- rescue skills in simulated disaster situations at sites around Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Although real searches are life-and-death events for the handlers, for the dogs it's all fun. When the dogs find a person, they bark and are rewarded by playing with a pull toy. Kevin Fildes of the Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. Fire Department was training with Taku, a male border collie border collie, breed of medium-sized, sheepherding dog developed in the British Isles. It stands about 18 in. (45.7 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 45 lb (13.6–20.4 kg). , who searched through abandoned buildings at the Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. hidden volunteer ``victims.'' ``We teach the dog that the victim has the toys,'' Fildes said. ``That's what makes high-drive dogs look for victims.'' School kids in Point Higgins, Alaska, raised money by holding a walk-a- thon in the rain and snow after 9-11 to help pay for Taku's training. They got the naming rights Naming rights are the right to name a piece of property, either tangible property or an event, usually granted in exchange for financial considerations. Institutions like schools, places of worship and hospitals have a tradition of granting donors the right to name facilities in , choosing Taku, which is a river in Alaska. Now Taku lives with Fildes, his family and two dogs full time. Life with a search dog can be trying. When Fildes first brought Taku home from the kennel, the dog raced through the house. ``He's the Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940 in Montona d'Istria, Italy, now Motovun, Croatia) is an Italian American racecar driver, and one of the most successful Americans in the history of auto racing. of border collies - he only knows one speed,'' Fildes said. ``But my family knows that this is really important for everybody, and this is my job. They just laugh when Taku tears up the furniture.'' Pluis Davern, the foundation's head trainer, said search dogs possess so much drive that the average person can't live with them. ``What makes a bad pet makes a great search dog,'' she said. That's why the foundation often finds search-dog candidates at animal shelters. The foundation is supported entirely by private donations, and it trains and places dogs with fire departments at no cost. The dogs spend six months at a kennel in Gilroy, where they learn basic obedience, how to alert their handlers by barking, obstacle training, direction control and rubble search. Handlers also are trained and start working with experienced search dogs before being introduced to their new partner. The foundation places the dogs in groups so handlers can meet regularly to continue training. When they are ready, dogs and handlers take a test to be certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical . CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Taku is a search dog who works with handler Kevin Fildes of the Santa Paula Fire Department. Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion