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Two Rescued Dogs Embark on Their New Careers as Rescuers With the LA County Fire Department

Mattis and Bond are new members of Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2 after training at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula.

Nick Medina and Mattis (left) and John Paul "JP" Hilsabeck and Bond, both of California Task Force 2, Los Angeles County Fire Department, are pictured.
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

Two rescue dogs have been added to the Los Angeles County Fire Department search and rescue team, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation announced Tuesday.

Bond and Mattis were added to Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2, the foundation reported. They join the ranks of dogs across the country who have graduated from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula.

Among their jobs, they'll search for survivors in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The dogs and handlers will work together daily throughout the next year, developing skills and bonding. Once certified, they can deploy with fire departments and task forces.

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation rescues dogs and trains them to work with first responders.

Bond, black Labrador retriever, was born at Dogs for Better Lives in Oregon. He was living with a foster family, but considered too energetic to be placed with a family. The Search Dog Foundation has a partnership with DBL, and Bond passed the foundation's evaluation.

Mattis, an 18-month-old German shepherd/Belgian Malinois, went home with a family at 7 weeks old, but things didn't work out due to his high energy, strong toy driver and recent life changes for the owner. That same high energy and drive made Mattis a good search-rescue dog candidate.

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