Page 55 - Laguna Blanca Magazine Summer 2018

“WATCHING A DOG GO FROM A SHELTER TO SAVING LIVES IS ABSOLUTELY

INCREDIBLE AND HAVING EVEN A SMALL PART IN THAT TRANSFORMATION IS
A PROFOUND PRIVILEGE.”

“The resilience of these dogs is often what helps prevent
T ons of local community members supported the human rescuers’ discouragement working in such difficult
Montecito mudslide victims this past winter—but
they weren’t all human. Thanks in part to Laguna conditions,” she says. “It helps us all believe rescue is possible.”
alumna Denise Hess Sanders ’02, 18 teams of rescue dogs from Perhaps the most inspiring part of the rescue dogs’ work:
the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) in Santa they’ve all been rescued themselves. The SDF pulls promising
Paula, CA were on the ground within hours of the disaster, pups from shelters throughout the country, looking specifically
searching for live victims amidst the mud and debris. for traits that many would deem ‘unadoptable.’ Trainers then
Sanders has worked for SDF for the past 10 years, originally work for 8-12 months to channel those behaviors—high energy,
serving as a program manager and eventually moving into barking, climbing—into life-saving skills before sending dogs to
the role of communications director, helping to bring greater work in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
attention to the hard but important work the animals do every Because many of the rescued dogs have experienced some
day in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies around form of trauma, Sanders says, it sometimes takes a while for them
the country—and world. The foundation’s dogs have served in to make eye-contact or trust humans again. But over time, they
more than 160 disasters and rescue operations, including recovery don’t just learn to connect—they find new purpose in their canine
efforts at Ground Zero after September 11, 2001, and even the lives.
7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti in 2010. “Our ultimate goal in search and rescue is providing closure,”
“Imagine if we had to overturn every piece of rubble by hand Sanders says. “These amazing dogs are the ones that help ensure
to find survivors following a disaster,” Sanders says. “In search no one is left behind alive in the aftermath of a disaster. They are
and rescue, you don’t have that kind of time. Our dogs can do in an incredible source of skill and inspiration for all of us.”
hours what would take humans days to do.” Sanders lives in Ventura with her husband Ron, their children,
Originally, Sanders attended Pepperdine University with a Marcus and Siena, and their dogs Shasta and Diesel.
plan to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. After working The National Rescue Dog Foundation’s National Training
part-time as a dispatcher for the Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Center is located just an hour east of Santa Barbara in Santa Paula,
Department throughout college, however, she found fulfillment CA. The 125-acre site features mock disaster zones, train wrecks,
in being able to help others in their time of need. That experience and a destroyed “search
prepared her well for her work at SDF, where no two days—or city”—much of which was
hours—are ever the same. recently destroyed by the
“When I graduated from Laguna, I felt ready to take on the Thomas Fire.
world,” Sanders says. “At SDF, I have the opportunity to help our
dogs and trainers do just that. Watching a dog go from a shelter For more information or
to saving lives is absolutely incredible and having even a small to visit the foundation’s
part in that transformation is a profound privilege.” National Training Center, go
Prior to the Montecito mudslides, two rescue teams from to searchdogfoundation.org.
the SDF were already staged nearby in anticipation of the rains.
Within 24 hours, the California Office of Emergency Services
would deploy 16 more rescue teams from Sacramento, San Diego, Search dogs train for
Orange County, and other regional locations to help local rescue up to a year to learn
workers in the live-search efforts. Throughout the next week, to find live victims PHOTO BY CAMILA LEMERE ’18
in various types of
they would trudge through waist-deep mud with their handlers wreckage. The cost
to train one team
searching for survivors. According to Sanders, the dogs’ tireless (canine and handler)
spirit provided a much-needed lift to exhausted crews strained by is approximately
the weight of such grueling and emotionally taxing work. $50,000. SUMMER 2018

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