Homeless Grand Junction Dog Is Now A Certified Search Dog In Nebraska

Life has changed dramatically for a sick, stray dog in Grand Junction.

Stray, Sick, and Alone On the Streets

Chief has come such a long way since the days of a sickly dog wandering Colorado streets alone. Even if he survived, it seemed as though he would never be anything more than another stray dog. However, the story quickly changed when the dog was taken in by the Roice-Hurst Humane Society in Grand Junction.

Roice Hurst Realized This Dog Was Special

Of course, Roice-Hurst is all about rescuing animals and finding homes for homeless pets. But, when this particular dog came into the shelter, they soon discovered he was special. He wouldn't sit still or stop chasing a ball - and they recognized the signs of a good search dog. So, they contacted the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, and he was on his way to becoming a superstar search dog.

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Rescued Dog Accepted For Search Dog Training

Once he was accepted into the SDF, Chief was given his name in honor of fire chief and SDF board member Michael "Chief" McGroarty, who had passed away the previous year due to cancer. After six months of training, Chief was paired with New Zealand native Andrew Pitcher- a veteran disaster search dog handler. Six months later, the team achieved FEMA certification as part of Nebraska Task Force One.

The pair has been deployed numerous times to assist in the aftermath of various disasters including tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes. When Chief isn't working, he's spending time hanging out with Andrew and his family.

Inspirational Story of A Homeless Dog

Chief's story is very inspirational and a credit to the folks at Roice-Hurst in Grand Junction. I can't help but think about Chief's previous owner and what the circumstances were that resulted in Chief being abandoned. But, thankfully, Roice-Hurst was there.  Because of what they do, Chief was given a second chance to have a productive and purposeful life. Who knows, maybe a dog you adopt from Roice-Hurst is going to be the next Chief.