Posted on 09/01/2010 3:08:34 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Val is not just man's best friend - he's the oldest working employee at the Montebello Fire Department and reportedly the oldest working rescue dog in the nation.
Photo Gallery: Rescue Dogs in Montebello
Val, an Urban Search and Rescue canine with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, is retiring after 11 years of service and countless rescue missions.
During his career, with owner and handler Capt. Marc Valentine of the Montebello Fire Department, Val has trained other rescue dogs, searched for survivors through rubble, and offered solace to firefighters responding to Hurricane Katrina.
The golden Labrador mix, which is five months shy of 13, will retire in October, and Rico, a 3-year-old Lab nearing the completion of his training program, will take over.
"Once he retires, Val will get a chance to enjoy being a good pet," Valentine said. "He is as much of this department as anyone else."
Rico, Val's apprentice, is two months shy from his Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) certification, and giving his mentor a well-deserved break.
Val took on many roles beyond the duties of rescue dog during his career. Five years ago, when Val and Valentine were in New Orleans searching for survivors, Val offered firefighters companionship.
"We were far from our homes and families, working 12 hours a day, and trudging through some of the most bleak and devastating scenes you could imagine," Valentine said about his 28-day experience in Louisiana. "At night, firefighters would come back to our camp and we would have our dogs out for the guys to pet and share stories about their pets. The time together gave firefighters a sense of normalcy despite the surroundings. The dogs felt like home," he said. Val and Rico were donated to the Montebello Fire Department by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, and are two of 225 dogs in the United States trained for rescue response.
Val and Rico work, eat, sleep and play at the Montebello fire station with firefighters during Valentine's shifts.
And, the station could not be happier, according to Valentine.
"Everyone here is real supportive," he said. "The dogs are great for our morale."
Val and Rico were rescued and trained through The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. The organization was founded in 1996, after a need for canine response was made apparent to founder Wilma Melville during the Oklahoma bombing rescue efforts.
The foundation is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization based in Ojai, and all of the dogs selected for its program are rescued from shelters and other agencies.
"The agency seeks high-energy dogs, that may otherwise have trouble being placed in average homes," said Amy Nicholas, program manager with the foundation.
"It's like finding a needle in a haystack," Nicholas said.
Once the agency locates a potential candidate they test the dog to determine its potential.
"We are looking for a dog in the right age range, that is an athletic breed and can track a scent," Nicholas said.
"I look for the kind of dog that would rather play fetch all day than eat dinner," she said.
During the prime of his career, Val was deployed on an average of three rescue missions a year.
In the La Conchita landslide of 2005, Val surprised his handler and found the remains of a mother and three children under a pile, even though he is only trained to locate survivors.
The find gave closure to 20 family members who were hanging around the incident, and waiting for more than two days to find their missing loved ones, Valentine said.
As Val nears his retirement, Rico, a comical black Lab, reports to the station to train with Valentine and make himself at home.
"It's going to be up to Rico now," Valentine said, petting the two companions. "These dogs are the best thing that ever happened to my career."
Good dog.
Just got us a lab mix male that was going to the pound.His name is Luke.
Go to post #38 and see another cute pup.
Sorry I should have pinged you to post #38.
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