Sariah, Zlata and River

Search & Rescue Dogs

2002, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 60"

"After deciding to get a disaster dog, I start looking in a multitide of placed, including local shelters. I would go every 3 days and "test" any of the dogs that came in. After about 4 months and testing 50 dogs I was becoming discouraged. My wife was talking to a friend that had several dogs and she said he had a black lab that she wanted to give to a good home. The only thing was that Sariah was very busy and needed to work or do something (PERFECT for ME). I "tested" Sariah several times and she passed with flying colors!

We are members of Arizona Task Force 1 which is part of the Urban Search & Rescue Team for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Sariah loves to retrieve anything, anywhere, anytime! She usually carries my shoes and duty boots around the house just to let me know she is ready to go to the Fire Department or rubble pile to work."

-Scott Krushak

"A local breeder who gifted a pup from each litter to rescue groups donated Zlata to the group and me as the handler. She has been deployed to the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002 and remains ready for deployment today. She is a "tom boy" but very efficient in her energy use. She will watch the others and wait for them to return before taking it from them."

River was donated to our search group by a fellow firefighter who breeds yellow labs. River was in a kennel for 5 months when incredible "play drive" was noticed. River is very sweet, she loves to lie on top of us and be petted. Recently, River flew to Seattle with us on her first commercial flight in the cabin that is required for FEMA dogs. She was very popular and well behaved. If she were not used as a working dog, she would have been left in a kennel, breeding her entire life. We love her deeply."

-Tom and Reeny Shannon

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