Yesterday, we announced that GDB career change-turned-search and rescue dog, Cadillac, was being deployed to Chile to assist with earthquake recovery efforts (read about it here). Unfortunately, it looks as though Cadillac and his handler will remain stateside for now. The following message is from Search Dog Foundation, explaining the situation:
In the wake of Saturday's devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, six Search Dog Foundation teams mobilized as part of Los Angeles Task Force 2. They traveled to Pacoima, CA where they met up with the 74-person Task Force, and were on standby to depart for March Air Force Base where they would board a military cargo plane bound for Chile.
Unfortunately, on Tuesday evening the teams learned that the mission had been cancelled because the Chilean government has not yet officially asked for assistance from the United States.
Had the teams reached Chile, we know one thing for certain: the handlers and their dogs were at top deployment readiness, prepared to face the most challenging search environment, and prepared to save lives.
Major disasters can occur anywhere, anytime. Four of the teams activated for Chile recently returned from Haiti, where their combined efforts helped find ten people buried in the rubble. The knowledge they gained during that deployment is being shared with teams across the country to advance their training techniques and search methods.
We deeply appreciate the support of SDF friends across the country that ensures that the next time disaster strikes, our Canine Disaster Search Teams will be there to make sure everything possible is being done to make sure no one is left behind.
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