To the rescue -- finding a purpose for rejected shelter dogs

I came across this article, "To the Rescue" on CNN's website. The article is about Wilma Melville, the founder of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. In 1996 Melville started looking for shelter dogs with potential to become search dogs. Melville states that there are about 250 search and rescue teams, made up of dog and handler, but that is only about half the number that is needed to cover the country. These teams are FEMA certified and travel to disasters all over the world. Melville started this foundation after the Oklahoma City Bombing and the dogs and handlers trained through her foundation have provided help to the Japan & Haiti earthquakes, the May 22 tornado in Joplin and the 9/11 attacks in New York. Melville's organization has trained about 130 teams, for free. Melville says that this is the only group in the nation that gives a highly trained, professionally trained dog, to a handler and then stays with that handler for the rest of the team's life together.

I was thrilled to come across this article and learn about this foundation. After reading the article my feelings about Melville's foundation didn't change.

This is a great way to save a shelter dog that normally wouldn't have much of a chance of being adopted to a forever home. After training these shelter animals for free they are placed with their handler forever.  As a former animal control officer, I was excited to hear about Melville's foundation. Melville discussed in the article a former shelter dog who had previously been rejected by two foster homes because he was deemed too hyper to be a pet. But his search-and-rescue training gave him a purpose. There are many displaced animals who are euthanized simply because someone wanted a cute, furry puppy but aren't willing to take responsibility for it once the cuteness wears off and Melville has created a place for them. Another great thing about Melville's foundation is that she does this for free and receives no federal or state funding.

Melville is saving animals who are saving lives, what a great service.