Halo’s Story

The runt in a litter of ten Dutch Shepherd brothers and sisters, Halo showed some promise as a working dog soon after her birth. In January 2016, Fire Captain ‘Cat’ Labrada of Miami Dade County, Florida flew to Detroit and chose her as her new partner. From the day she arrived back home, Halo met her new family, including Cat’s retired search and rescue dog, the golden Labrador Bella, and the other members of Florida Task Force 1, one of the most elite search and rescue teams in America. In those early days, Cat describes her lovingly as “a devil dog” with an independent, even mischievous streak. However, as her training progressed, she began to mature into a more focused and confident search dog.

Over the next two years, Halo and Cat forge a remarkable bond as they train at facilities in Texas, Georgia and Tennessee, including one of the most challenging sites in the country, Disaster City, before eventually deciding to take the ultimate test: the Federal Emergency Management Association’s Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) and Certification Exam (CE) in New York.

Superpower Dogs will premiere in IMAX and giant screen theaters near you in March 2019. Come find out whether Cat and Halo passed their big exam and have what it takes to save lives in a real disaster.

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Henry’s Story

Together, Henry and his Handler/Trainer Ian Bunbury, are a Senior Avalanche Rescue Dog Team working as volunteers with the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association. Henry is the third Border Collie that Ian has trained for Avalanche Search and Rescue. Ian believes that Henry’s strong herding instincts combined with the Border Collies’ legendary work ethic, their natural smarts and physical soundness make for a great canine working partner. Indeed, Henry’s grandfather was a Reserve World Herding Champion, and Henry has put those herding skills to use in Wildlife Aversion work in his hometown of Whistler, B.C., moving both Canadian Geese and Black Bears out of conflict situations.

Henry’s regular day job in the winter season sees him accompanying Ian, a professional Ski Patroller at Whistler Mountain, at work every day, where they stand ready to respond to Avalanche Search and Rescue calls. Reflecting Henry’s impressive working heritage, he is most fulfilled when he is working: to him, finding the quarry means the fun is ending! Their weekly training includes SAR practice, transportation by snowmobile, toboggan, chairlift, and riding on Ians’ shoulders. They also train annually in helicopter long line insertion and extrication. In addition, Henry also helps Ian with avalanche awareness education demonstrations for young skiers and snowboarders.

At home, Henry is a relaxed pet who believes there is never a bad time for a wiggle, but he is always ready for a callout. In March 2017, Henry and Ian had a bittersweet moment when they found a buried avalanche subject after three hours of searching. Though the subject was not found alive, the experience only served to strengthen this teams’ dedication to the CARDA motto: “committed to saving the life of the avalanche victim”.

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Ricochet’s Story

An internet sensation, Ricochet is a 10-year old Golden Retriever and one of America’s most beloved therapy dogs. In 2009, Ricochet made an independent decision to jump on a surfboard with a boy who is quadriplegic. Since then, she has surfed with hundreds of individuals, and became the only SURFice dog® on the planet who provides canine assisted surfing to empower and improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities. Although surfing has been at the forefront of Ricochet’s work, it’s not the act of surfing that makes her interactions so life changing. It’s her mystifying ability to make immediate, deep, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connections with the individuals she interacts with, both in and out of the water. She intuitively and empathically alerts to their emotional and physical changes which allows for profound paws-on healing interventions.

Ricochet’s newest initiative is her Waves of Empowerment program. Veterans with PTSD and kids with special needs are paired for a day of mentoring through canine assisted surfing, paddling, swimming, playing and therapy… taking them from the battleground to the playground! She is also an American Humane Association hero dog, ASPCA dog of the year, holds the AKC award for Canine Excellence, is an inductee in the California Veterinary Medical Association’s Hall of Fame, is an official Team USA Adaptive Surfing member and sits in two surf dog Hall of Fames. She lives a lifestyle of helping others by ‘pawing it forward’ while raising awareness & over 1/2 million dollars for human/animal causes.

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REEF’S Story

Reef is a four-year old Newfoundland, who adores the lakes and sea around her home near Milan, Italy. Her partner is Commandante Ferruccio Pilenga, founder of the Scuela Italiana di Cani Salvataggio (Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs), and a huge advocate for the Newfoundland as a working water dog.

Reef is the granddaughter of Mas, one of the most famous Newfoundlands in recent history, who saved Ferruccio’s daughter from drowning. Today, Reef is an instructor dog, helping other dogs develop their innate rescue instinct to save human lives. She can deploy from a boat or helicopter, swim for miles without tiring and tow up to 40 times her own weight in the water!

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Tony & Tipper’s Story

Twin Bloodhound brothers, Tipper and Tony have spent their lives protecting the residents of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, particularly endangered rhinos and threatened elephants. They are expert trackers, with the most precise nose of any dog and can follow a scent for miles.

Since they began patrolling the savannah and towns around Northern and Mount Kenya, they have helped in the arrest of over 40 poachers and many other criminals, including cattle raiders. Their evidence is actually admissible in Kenyan court, making them the only member of the animal kingdom with the authority to testify in a trial. They have even found missing people when no one else could. Now eight years old, the brothers are adored by the local community and have become international heroes.

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