Topa, a 7-year-old disaster search dog, is trained to find survivors in emergencies. Her handler, firefighter Rudy Valencia, emphasizes her skills in locating live individuals in catastrophic situations. Rescued from dire circumstances as a puppy, Topa was initially a challenging adoption case but was selected for her unique abilities. After being trained for search and rescue, she and Valencia bonded during their pairing in 2018, combining their skills to aid in life-threatening scenarios.
Topa is a certified disaster search dog, trained to locate survivors in the most devastating situations: collapsed buildings, landslides and other life-threatening disasters.
Topa, a Border Collie mix, successfully locates a hidden victim during a search training mission, alerting with a loud bark after finding them inside a well.
Some scouts saw how she liked to play and determined she had the drive to become a search dog, Valencia said.
It was there, at the Western Hills Humane Society in Spearfish, that Topa's future took a dramatic turn.
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