Decorated Sacramento Search Dog Dies

[The Straight Story]

Decorated Sacramento Search Dog Dies

SACRAMENTO, CA - A Sacramento golden retriever considered to be one of the best search and rescue dogs in the country has died of cancer at the age of 13.

Ana was born on Independence Day in 1995 and a year later became the first dog certified by the new Search Dog Foundation. Her disaster missions included the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina.

On its website, the Search Dog Foundation identified Ana as the best search dog in its program because she used both her instinct and her brain. "She is a joy," according to the foundation's biography.

She and her handler, Sacramento City Fire Captain Rick Lee, worked out of Station 56 on 47th Ave. Although retired by arthritis earlier this year, Ana remained active at the fire house.

Firefighter Tom Mabra said Ana was having a hard time breathing Wednesday afternoon and was taken by Lee to a veterinarian. Tests showed cancer had spread through her body and she was put to sleep.

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=50479&catid=2

[aquart]

1. RIP, best of dogs.

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. Oh my,

:cry:

Thank you, Ana.

[uppityperson]

3. RIP Ana and thank you for your service. nt

[Kadie]

4. .

:cry:

[MadMaddie]

5. RIP Ana

:cry:

[BrklynLiberal]

6. another 9/11 dies. RIP Ana.

I am quite sure that I have read about her before...

More of this story, and several pictures...
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=50479&catid=2


http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/0_rainbowdogs.html

Dusty, born in 1995, was one of the very first dogs trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, established by Wilma Melville, for the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Program. In 1997 Dusty, along with Ana and Harley, were the first three dogs recruited for training and use in the US&R arena. All of these dogs were assigned to firefighter handlers from California Task Force 7 in Sacramento. Ana and Captain Rick Lee of Sacramento Fire, as well as Harley and Assistant Chief Rob Cima of El Dorado County Fire, experienced the same level of success as Randy and Dusty. The combination of firefighter handlers and highly trained dogs like Dusty was new to the disaster search world. The Foundation Program and the dedication of all of the canine search teams have contributed to a remarkably successful program that has changed the way we in USAR conduct operations.


http://landofpuregold.com/disaster.htm