SISKIYOU COUNTY, Ore. — Northern California is rooting for a local underdog. A stray dog named Chief was brought to the Weed Police Department about a month ago.
Officer Ryan Coates saw a spark in him and a chance for Chief to fulfill his potential. That’s when the department reached out to the Siskiyou Humane Society for help.
The society’s Executive Director Austin Browder also recognized the dog’s amazing focus and drive, realizing it’s exactly what is needed in a search dog.
So when I see an animal or rather a dog in the shelter, and they’re bouncing off the walls, and they’re super high energy and I hold a tennis ball up, and then all of a sudden they stop and they go, ‘What’s that in your hand?’, and that’s where I started thinking this might be a good candidate for the Search Dog Foundation.
The police department and the society then teamed up to film an interview of Chief for the National ‘Search Dog Foundation’ or SDF. Their recruitment team saw the potential in Chief and welcomed him into their program. Then his journey began in style by being flown by Randy, a pilot from the Pilots and Paws program, to the SDF Training Center.
Bowder encourages the community to stay connected with the society as Chief embarks on his new chapter at the SDF program.
You can learn more about Chief’s story and see the latest updates by heading to the Siskiyou Humane Society’s website.
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