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From Rescued to Rescuer!
Dooley, a shelter dog from Voorhees, NJ has been accepted into a national search and rescue training program in California.
Dooley arrived a few weeks ago at the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees from a high kill shelter in Virginia. AWA staff contacted Canine Dimensions for assistance with Dooley’s training and behavior, since his unusually high drive and energy level made him difficult to handle.
Canine Dimensions conducted an evaluation of Dooley and determined that while he was difficult to handle as a pet for the average family, his level of drive and focus made him an ideal candidate for search and rescue work.
The results of his evaluation were submitted to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in Ojai, California. Very few dogs tested (about 1 in 20) will qualify for entry into the SDF training school, but Dooley proved he had the unique combination of good temperament, working intelligence and high drive that SDF requires and he has been officially accepted into their training program.
Founded in 1996, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, California. Their 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.From the World Trade Center attack to Hurricane Katrina to the Haiti earthquake, SDF search teams have been called upon to serve as the first responders to numerous hurricanes, earthquakes, mud slides, train derailments, building collapses and other disasters.
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Animal Welfare Association (AWA) founded in 1948, is a private, non-profit animal welfare organization serving the people and animals in southern New Jersey with a variety of programs including adoptions, veterinary services, pet therapy, and humane education.
