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Rescue dogs get $150K grant
In the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedies, organizations from around
the country mobilized their resources to come to the aid of the
families of the victims, as well as the fallen heroes in the
New York City Police and Fire departments.
One organization, the Petco Foundation, has focused its attention
on the search teams who worked tirelessly to find survivors amid
the rubble - teams that included canines trained by the National
Disaster Search Dog Foundation, based in Ojai.
To salute the work of the NDSDF, the Petco Foundation is proud
to announce a $150,000 grant to the organization that trained
13 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Certified Canine
Search Teams deployed to the World Trade Center site.
Their good deeds were the silver lining in an otherwise very
dark cloud, the NDSDF is the leader in the field of canine disaster
training. But, as important to the Petco Foundation, the organization
routinely rescues dogs with disaster search potential from animal
shelters, gives them intensive professional training and pairs
them with a firefighter.
Rescued dogs become rescue dogs.
The Petco grant means that NDSDF can accelerate its work to meet
the need for search dog-handler teams in the United States. NDSDF
Founder and Executive Director Wilma Melville also stated, "Although
we are grateful to Petco, the long-term support of the Ojai community
has allowed us to attract support from across the United States."
The Petco Foundation's mission is to support community organizations
and efforts that enhance the lives of companion animals while
strengthening the bond between people and pets.
The cost to train a dog and handler team to reach FEMA Certification
is $10,000.
For more information, or to help advance the work and mission
of NDSDF, call (800) 646-1242, or visit them online at www.ndsdf.org.
The Petco Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated
to helping animal welfare groups that promote the human-animal
bond. Since its inception in 1999, the foundation has donated
more than $6 million to animal welfare groups. Donations to the
Disaster Relief Fund may be sent directly to the Petco Foundation
at 7262 N. Rosemead Blvd., San Gabriel, CA 91775.
© 2002 The Ojai Valley News
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