Local Stray Dog Gets New Life as Disaster Search Team

Once a stray on the streets of Ventura, Search Dog Waffles shows off his agility skills on the rubble, that he learned at the Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula, similar to what he will face when deployed to disasters around the world as a live find search dog.

Source: Search Dog Foundation

With friends and family cheering them on, six new Canine Disaster Search Teams joined the elite roster of urban search and rescue responders at the Search Dog Foundation’s (SDF) National Training Center on Friday, September 27, 2019, including Waffles, a beautiful Belgian Malinois and former local stray, now ready to serve the Santa Barbara community and the world as a disaster search dog.

Waffles did not have a great start in life as he was found wandering the streets of Ventura, CA, before being taken to Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) in Camarillo, CA. Though he was adopted out twice, Waffles was returned both times as he was “too much to handle” for an ordinary family.

Luckily, a SDF and VCAS volunteer noticed the energetic young dog at the shelter and reached out to SDF’s recruitment team. Soon, Waffles was easily running across the rubble, impressing SDF’s trainers with his hunt and agility skills.

“Originally his energy and drive was unfocused and therefore he showed a lot of frustration – something we like to see a little of, but Waffles had more than his fair share,” remembers SDF Trainer Emily Hodges. “With some extra effort toward keeping his mind busy, even with some fun and silly tricks, Waffles has learned how to channel his energy and stay calm and focused but don’t be fooled, when it comes to searching, Waffles is a powerhouse!”

Completing his transformation from rescued to rescuer, Waffles found his forever home when he was partnered with his firefighter-handler, Captain Eric Gray of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department on September 27. A veteran canine handler, who just retired his first SDF-trained search dog, Riley, earlier this month, Eric is looking forward to bonding with his new partner and continuing to serve Santa Barbara, the country, and the world.

Waffles will join Eric as part of Santa Barbara County Fire Department as well as part of California Task Force 2, based in Los Angeles County. Their task force is one of only two of the 28 federal task forces in the country that are able to deploy internationally.

Eric and Waffles, as well as the other five new teams that graduated Friday, will follow in the foot and paw prints of generations of SDF-trained search teams who came before them to prepare for federal and state certification. After attaining certification, the teams will be eligible to deploy with their respective task forces across the country in the wake of disasters such as earthquakes, mudslides, and hurricanes, searching for survivors in the rubble and debris.

The six new Canine Disaster Search Teams joining our nation’s disaster response network are:

• Travis Calka & Hopper (Los Angeles County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
• Eric Gray & Waffles (Santa Barbara County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
• Steve MacDonald & Molly (Nebraska Task Force 1)
• Sean Quigley & Geno (Los Angeles County Fire Department/California Task Force 2 – Los Angeles County)
• Rudy Valencia & Topa (Berkeley Fire Department/California Task Force 4 – Oakland)
• Damon Wirth & Koa (Lincoln Fire-Rescue/Nebraska Task Force 1)

These handlers spent the past two weeks in intensive academy-style training to master the basics of canine handling, as well as more advanced theories on scenting and search strategy. Three handlers, Eric Gray, Steve MacDonald, and Damon Wirth, are veteran handlers who received the leash to their second search dog partners from SDF. Even prior to this Handler Course, the three new handlers, Travis Calka, Sean Quigley, and Rudy Valencia, have trained for months with their task force teammates and SDF-trained search dogs at their home training sites. After working with several of the 15 canine candidates currently in training at SDF, the handlers were partnered with their new search dogs in a special “passing of the leash” ceremony Friday morning.

“These dogs are incredibly hard working, fun-loving and an absolute pleasure to work with,” shared SDF Canine Training Manager Mandy Tisdale. “Seeing them bond with their new handlers throughout the last two weeks of our Handler Course has been a true privilege and while it’s bittersweet to send them home together, we look forward to all the good these new canine disaster search teams are going to provide to their communities, the country and the world.”

Every search dog that graduates from SDF’s training program stays with his or her handler for life. Handler and canine are together virtually 24/7, including at the fire station during regular shifts, so they are ready to respond at a moment’s notice when needed. At home, though search dogs are working dogs, they are integrated into their new families and are well-loved at home too.

The Search Dog Foundation is where rescued dogs learn to be rescuers, providing a training ground for search and rescue teams throughout the nation to work with their canines in an environment that simulates real disaster conditions such as a train wreck, earthquake-stricken buildings, a freeway collapse, and immense rubble piles It is the first training facility in the U.S. dedicated solely to first responders and their canine partners who risk their lives to make sure no one is left behind in the wake of a disaster.

SDF’s canine candidates train daily to prepare for their graduation days, usually within 8 to 10 months of entering the training program. These are often rescued dogs with the insatiable toy-drive and extreme athleticism needed for disaster search. Under the guidance of SDF Trainers, the canines learn the obedience, agility, and search skills they’ll need to find people buried alive in the rubble and aftermath of disasters.