National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

Founded in 1996, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, California. Our mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. We offer the professionally trained canines and an ongoing training program at no cost to fire departments. And we ensure lifetime care for every dog in our program: once rescued, these dogs never need to be rescued again.

There are currently 69 SDF-trained Search Teams located in California, Florida, New York, Oklahoma, and Utah. Four Texas teams will be added to the roster in 2009. Thanks to Mutual Aid Agreements between counties, cities and states, these precious, life-saving resources can be shared regionally and nationally.

Description:
SDF is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, California. Our mission is to produce the most highly trained DHS/FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Advanced Certified canine disaster search teams in the nation. These teams are trained to search for live victims of natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The teams are provided at no cost to fire departments and other emergency service agencies throughout the country.

How do you raise the funds to do this?
As a tax-exempt charity with no government funding, we rely on support from individuals and private foundations and corporations throughout the country to provide this service.

We produce our annual report, Quest, and the Bark Alert newsletter from our offices.

The entire Foundation is run through the Ojai office.

SDF is recognized as providing some of the most highly trained search dogs in the nation. Using Advanced Certification by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA as a starting point, SDF-trained Canine Search Teams go well beyond this skill level. SDF provided 13 of the search teams deployed at Ground Zero (33% of the Advanced-Certified dogs). In 2005, 26 SDF teams were sent to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to assist with rescue efforts.

SDF's extensive pre-screening of canine candidates and rigorous training is a winning combination. Prior to SDF's innovations, only about 15% of the dogs in America training to be disaster search dogs reached DHS/FEMA Advanced Certification. Of the dogs in SDF's program, 85% achieve Advanced Certification.

History:
SDF was founded in 1995 by retired schoolteacher, Wilma Melville. In 1995, Wilma and her Advanced-Certified search dog were deployed to the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. Only one survivor was found by a dog, and it was clear that the country had a severe shortage of Canine Disaster Search Teams. Determined to do something about this alarming gap in our national disaster response network, Wilma founded the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation and designed a program based on the recruitment of rescued dogs and on a streamlined, professional training methodology. Her goal was to improve the way search dogs were chosen, trained, and to partner them with firefighters and other first responders. for.

Contact person: Sharon Cromartie, Operations Manager, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (888) 459-4376
Office fax number: (805) 640-1848

Address:

501 E. Ojai Ave Ojai, CA 93023 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.searchdogfoundation.org

Directions:

Take the 33 into Ojai. Follow Ojai Ave. to 501 E. Ojai Ave. (corner of Fox).   Nearest Bus Stop: 16, 3 minute walk

Last updated on October 8, 2009