A non-profit group works with training often unadoptable dogs for search and rescue, giving them new life and purpose. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation has sent pups on the prowl around the world, in areas such as Puerto Rico for disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Maria, Nepal, Japan and Haiti.
The group was founded by K-9 handler Wilma Melville after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 in an effort to bolster what she viewed as understaffed search and rescue teams.
“The exact same behavior that we look for in these dogs are usually the ones that land them on the unadoptable or euthanasia list,” spokesperson Denise Sanders told CNN. “They’re highly energetic. They’re super-focused, laser-focused.”
Shelter dogs are selected and put through rigorous training to search through debris, keep their footing and work with human handlers. Those that show aptitude graduate to working dogs, while those that do not are adopted out to family homes.
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/14/us/iyw-national-disaster-search-dog-foundation/index.html
