The Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) has provided a grant to the Search Dog Foundation (SDF), the organization that rescues dogs and then trains the canines to be partnered with firefighters to find people buried during disasters.
The DDAF grant has been designated to provide Lifetime Care to dogs who need to be released from the comprehensive search dog training program, assuring that these previously-rescued dogs will never need to be rescued again. SDF will be able to offset the costs of identifying and screening future Lifetime Care homes, boarding and obedience training, housing, vet care and other costs to assure that the former search dog trainees are cared for during their entire lives.
“We knew we wanted to help the Search Dog Foundation with its terrific work,” said Doris Day from her home in Carmel, California. “The difficult choice was deciding which of the great programs to fund with our grant.
“We learned that very few of the dogs are actually able to complete the rigorous training program, so SDF provides Lifetime Care for all the dogs, no matter how far they went. There are currently 94 dogs in the program, and we’re delighted that we are going to help SDF provide for their well-being now and in the future when they find their own permanent loving homes.”
SDF recruits rescued dogs, gives them professional training and partners them with firefighters and other first responders to find people trapped in the wreckage following disasters. Established in 1996, the non-profit is dedicated to strengthening America’s emergency preparedness network by providing the most highly trained canine search dogs in the nation for this purpose. They go to great lengths to find canines with the exceptional characteristics required in a search dog, including intensive drive, athleticism, energy and focus. SDF works with shelters, breed rescue groups and service dog agencies to recruit these outstanding canines.
SDF Founder Wilma Melville: “We are very grateful to the Doris Day Animal Foundation for its generosity, and for its deep understanding of the work we do. This grant goes far toward fulfilling a cornerstone of our program making sure that once rescued, these dogs will never need to be rescued again. Doris Day is a partner in every way to our firefighter-handlers, to the Search Dog Foundation, and to the communities we serve.”
“Let me get in a plug,” Day adds. “Search Dog Rescue needs to find good homes for former students such as ‘Smokey,’ ‘Calvin,’ ‘Bill,’ ‘Reggie,’ ‘Bella,’ ‘Lexi,’ ‘Jackie,’ ‘Brandi’ and ‘Nova.’ They are also looking for special dogs to train to become search dogs.” Visit www.searchdogfoundation.org or call (888) 459-4376 for more information.
For the Doris Day Animal Foundation, visit www.ddaf.org.
