Who would have thought that unwanted dogs, rescued from oblivion or deemed unfit for what they were bred to do, could become rescuers, helping to save lives after the deadliest disaster to hit the Western Hemisphere in 200 years?
Wilma Melville, for one. In 1996, after returning from deployment to the Oklahoma City bombing, she founded the Search Dog Foundation, a non-profit organization that partners rescued dogs with firefighters and trains the teams to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters.
Since then, SDF has rescued hundreds of dogs and has trained 105 canine-firefighter search teams, 70 of which are currently active. The teams have deployed to 67 disasters, including 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, as well mudslides, tornadoes, building collapses, train derailments, and missing person searches.
On January 12th, When The Earthquake Hit Haiti, Seven SDF Search Dogs Were Called Into Action:
- Baxter, once found roaming the streets and turned over to Homeward Bound Rescue;
- Cadillac, once bred to be a Guide Dog but “too hyper” for that line of work;
- Dakota, once trained as a Police Dog but “too soft” to make the grade;
- Hunter, once deemed “too intense” for the mellow job of Canine Companion;
- Pearl, who once ended up at the pound after one too many escape attempts; and
- Dawson and Maverick, whose owners knew they were destined to save lives.
These dogs share certain traits: boundless energy, laser focus, and so much raw drive that they’ll eagerly race up mountains of jagged concrete, deftly navigate wobbly planks, squeeze through the smallest crawl-spaces, and climb the tallest ladders… all to play “tug toy” with someone hidden from view. When they have been trained by the Search Dog Foundation and partnered with a first-responder, this innate drive becomes a life-saving tool.
Thanks to Wilma’s vision, every one of these dogs helped save lives in Haiti. When the teams reached Port-au-Prince, they found a city in ruins. During their 14-day deployment, the teams helped rescue ten people trapped in the wreckage. Here is their report:
January 12: Day 1 – Call to Action
Los Angeles County Task Force 2 is activated by the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. Six SDF teams join the 72-member group and board a C-17 cargo plane, destination: Haiti. A seventh SDF team departs for Haiti as part of Florida Task Force 2.
January 14: Day 2 – The Search Begins
The teams arrive in Port-au-Prince in the first wave of international rescue workers. They establish base camp and make their way through the city, looking for buildings with the greatest likelihood of survivors. The devastation shocks even the most seasoned handlers, but they maintain strength by concentrating on the search. The dogs are upbeat and excited, and once the teams begin searching they work until the effort is done — no matter how long it takes or how hot, humid, or dark it becomes. The human handlers sleep only a few hours a day, but they frequently rest and hydrate the dogs and play hide and seek to keep them happy and motivated.
January 15: Five People Rescued
At 1:15 pm local time, Hunter alerts on live scent under several feet of broken concrete. Bill, his handler, speaks with the survivors — three teenage girls — and passes them bottles of water. Rescue workers extricate the girls from the wreckage and provide first aid. Bill reports by phone: “It’s a giant team effort. From the canines to the logistics team to communications, everyone is working at full capacity, using everything we’ve been trained to do. It’s an honor to be here.” Meanwhile, Dakota helps confirm the location of two more victims who are both pulled out alive.
January 17: A 50 Year Old Woman is brought to Safety
During Sunday’s shift, Ron and Pearl, Ron and Dawson, and Gary and Baxter help extricate a 50-year-old woman from a collapsed building. She is successfully brought to safety, dehydrated but smiling and talkative, and with only slight injuries. The Haitian onlookers break into songs of gratitude.
January 18: Five More Rescues
Bill and Hunter, Jasmine and Cadillac, and Jason and Maverick help rescue a woman from the rubble of a collapsed hotel. As soon as she is pulled from the wreckage, Haitians gathered nearby begin chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” It’s a moment the Search Teams will never forget. These teams also help dig out three more women found under another pancaked building. Two sisters, 19 and 20, are heard calling, but a 31-year-old is silent, buried deeper in the rubble. She is pinned to her mattress by the ceiling of her bedroom, which came just inches from crushing her. When Jasmine is able to get close enough, she sees the woman waving to her and hears “Thank you!” in English. Rescuers cut out the mattress and safely slide her out.
January 19-21: The Search Continues
CNN’s Anderson Cooper follows the L.A. teams, who search together as one group for the first time since arriving in Haiti. Julie and Dakota continue their search work with international teams.
January 22-27: SDF’s Teams Begin a Long Journey Home
As the likelihood of finding survivors diminishes, the teams help assist the local population as part of the Task Force. On January 27, they board buses for the Dominican Republic, where they will catch the long flight home.
January 28: A Hero’s Welcome
It took two buses to carry the 72 members of the Task Force from the L.A. airport to the rendezvous point in Pacoima. Wilma was there to greet SDF’s teams: “Tears welled up in my eyes when the voice on the loudspeaker said, ‘The buses are ten minutes out.’ Cries of happiness rang out as the blue-uniformed Task Force exited the buses and family members hugged and kissed their returning heroes.”
Lydia Reineck is a volunteer with the National Search Dog Foundation, based in Ojai, California.
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