Alley: October 1998 - August 2008

On August 29th, 2008 Alley lost her battle with cancer.  Before she passed, she was nominated by another handler for the American Kennel Club Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) 2008 with an Honorable Mention for her Search & Rescue service. The Land of Pure Gold Foundation dedicated a page to Alley after awarding her a treatment grant to help with her medical bills. 

Ego Alley was born in October 1998 and at 7 weeks old, she was picked to be my next SAR dog. She had a rough start in life with some orthopedic issues. Most thought she should not work, including me. I tried making her a pet but she refused to just be a pet so I decided she should be allowed to work as long as she was able to and willing to. She had so much personality and so much drive—her whole being is about being happy to work. Luckily her talent was equal with her desire. With Alley, I didn¹t train her—I merely LET her work. She was the driving force behind her career. Nothing stopped this little happy dog! She worked without giving any thought to anything else happening around her. She worked even without being given a command because finding sources was part of her core being. She was unbelievable to watch. Searching was what she was born to do. There is a talent and driving force I have never seen in any other SAR dog (I¹ve been doing this for 19 years and have trained 5 of my own SAR dogs, plus helped hundreds of others)! I can¹t help but think at this point, that this special dog came into my household to do what she has done for our community and for our nation when they needed her skills and determination.

Her career has been amazing. We needed her and she was there for us at the Pentagon after 9-11. She was sent to Texas by FEMA to help in the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery efforts. She worked the devastation in Bay St. Louis, MS after Hurricane Katrina. Alley has worked countless other searches in numerous states looking for those who are missing. She's found a child deeply buried for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She's found several drownings in rivers and lakes as well as others missing in different situations. Alley has even worked with archeologists proving dogs can find historical and pre-historical remains. I am in awe at her talent and desire to find.  She was put here for a reason, and I believe that she fulfilled it. This was this dog¹s calling in life—to serve our nation, our communities, and those families missing loved ones.

Cassy: Dec 6, 1991 - March 16, 2006

Cassy had not been doing well since her constant companion, TJ died a few months earlier.  She had become stressed, constantly circling as if looking for him, which added to her rear legs becoming too weak to support her at times.  It was hard to watch those legs that shot her over my head so many times to get to a source or article or to whack me as she did her refind, now fail to hold her up.  It was clearly time to let her go join TJ.  She had lived a good 14 years though. 

She had worked a very long career, with being lucky to make many finds (some not in her assigned sector but she never limited herself to the lines us humans drew on a map).  She did everything I ever asked of her and mastered every aspect of sar whether it was wilderness, rubble, water, live or cadaver.  She was so easy to train and so easy to work and never threw in behaviors – either it was there or it wasn’t, and if it was there she was sure to tell you.  She could always be trusted.  She was always determined, focused at the task at hand and could problem solve like no other dog I’ve seen.  She put her big heart into any task I asked of her.  I don’t know how I trained such a good dog because if you add up both the younger dogs’ strengths and knowledge, it doesn’t come even close to Cassy’s.  She seemed to be born with great wisdom that led us both.  Not only was she talented in sar, but she was a joy to live with as she thought she was put on this earth to love everyone.  She was always quiet, obedient, patient, and loving to all.  Her only barks were when she made a find.  I could take her anywhere and do anything with her.  We worked well as a team, not needing much verbal communication.  She just knew what to do and when.  She accomplished so much in sar and taught me so much over the years.  I will miss my old friend.

More pictures of Cassy working and to read the local paper's notice of her passing

TJ: December 1989 - October 2005

TJ, short for Thomas Jefferson, was my first dog.  He was to just be my hiking partner, but he soon taught me that dogs' noses are far superior at searching for lost people and evidence then any human.  I was skeptical but he proved it to me time after time when I hid articles where there was 'no way' he could find them, but he did.  However, he decided he'd rather be my best buddy then a dedicated SAR dog.  Then again, if only I knew then what I know now about training dogs, maybe he would have been the consistent SAR dog I hoped he would be.  He was fantastic when he wanted to be, other times, he was too busy enjoying life.  He lived life to the fullest and happy all the way through his 16 years with me.  He was my best companion, my protector, and taught all the later pups how to be confident on agility.  It was not unusual to find TJ 'missing' when walking near culverts as he loved to crawl through them and often went caving with me.  There wasn't anything he couldn't climb, tunnel through, or walk the edge of even the narrowest of obstacles.  Not only did he win my heart, he won the heart of my dad and opened the door for the rest of the herd to work their way into his heart as well.  If only we humans could all be as wise, confident, adaptable, and happy as TJ, we would be better for it. 

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Last modified: February 23, 2010