Brave Search And Rescue Dogs From Indiana Sent To Help Locate Hurricane Victims

As most of the nation’s eyes were glued to the news, people wondered just how bad the slow moving storm, Hurricane Dorian would be.  And, as we watched, in other parts of the country, first responders were springing into action and preparing for the worst.

Such as the 80 members of Indiana’s Task Force 1, that includes four dog handlers and 5 K-9’s.  These highly trained dogs are deployed to help find victims of natural disasters.

 

The K-9 team includes Orian, Eddie, Virgil, Maxwell, and Jake, all search and rescue dogs.  The handler of Jake, Ryan Cusack of the Crown Point Fire Department, said “Jake is a Labrador retriever.  He’s seven years old, and he’s been doing this for about five and half years.”

This is Jake’s third hurricane deployment.  Jake and the others have been extensively trained to look for survivors that might be trapped in the rubble and might be unable to call out for help.

Highly prepared, the dogs have undergone two or more years of training plus climate preparation so they are able to perform in a variety of locations.  They are rewarded for all their hard work with tennis balls or treats.

Cusack said, “Obviously we never want anyone to need our help or to be suffering, but we train hard just in case they ever do.”