Latest news with #RescueDogoftheYear
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Moore tornado survivor and search dog dies days before 12th anniversary
MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) — As the 12th anniversary of the devastating and powerful EF-5 tornado that tore through Moore approaches, the community is remembering one of its unique heroes. Five days after the May 20 tornado, a little Pitbull puppy was found buried under the rubble of a home near the Warren Theater. LOCAL NEWS: New Oklahoma virtual school option for struggling students 'I was asked to foster him because he was pretty feisty and peppy and not happy to be kept in the medical clinic,' said Molly Gibb. Nobody ever claimed him, but Gibb saw something special in the puppy. 'I realized that this dog had all the qualities you would ever want in a scent detector dog for search and rescue,' said Gibb. When no one came forward to claim him, Gibb adopted the puppy and named him Little Man and that's when their journey as a search and rescue team began. 'He survived a tornado and he's been paying it forward ever since,' said Gibb. Over the next decade, Little Man has worked tirelessly as a certified search and rescue dog. Skilled in live find, human remains detection and evidence search. 'He was such an, an incredible four legged advocate for the missing,' said Gibb. Little Man helped locate missing people, assisted in criminal investigations and even contributed to the discovery of unmarked Indigenous burial sites. His work spanned across Oklahoma and other states. Little Man has even been named 'Search and Rescue Dog of the Year' by the American Humane Society in 2021. 'It's been a real deep honor to be able to do that and especially with a dog like Little Man because he was so invested in it,' said Gibb. Little Man had just turned 12 and was recently recertified to continue search work. Gibb was planning to slowly ease him into retirement, but suddenly, everything changed. He died unexpectedly after doctors found a tumor. It's left a feeling of emptiness for Gibb. 'They are with you 24/7, they're your companion animal, they are your work partner, you're training all the time, you're deployed, I mean it's almost like you're not without them and now he's suddenly not there,' said Gibb. Little Man's legacy isn't just about the lives he helped find, it's also about where he came from. He was a shelter dog and Gibb hopes his story inspires others to see the potential in rescue animals no matter their breed. 'I can't say enough about the potential of those animals that we have in our shelter systems here in Oklahoma and they deserve our goodwill and our thoughtfulness to give them a chance at a good life,' said Gibb. Gibb says the work must go on as there are too many missing people in Oklahoma. She is now continuing her work with two other rescue dogs that Little Man helped train: Miss Timmy and MacDubh. 'He will be missed and the other two have some big paws to fill, but it'll be their own path, they have to carve their own path,' said Gibb. LOCAL NEWS: The Severe storms hit Oklahoma for second day Gibb says Little Man would want his story to inspire kindness. 'He never met a stranger, he thrived on happiness and he would want us all to be kinder to each other,' said Gibb. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- General
- USA Today
German Shepard named Pedigree Foundation's Rescue Dog of the Year: His sweet adoption story
German Shepard named Pedigree Foundation's Rescue Dog of the Year: His sweet adoption story Show Caption Hide Caption German shepherd shelter dog, Relic, gets his happy ending Relic, a German shepherd, named Rescue Dog of the Year thanks to East Bay SPCA and his foster family's dedication to helping him thrive. The Pedigree Foundation announced a 6-year-old German Shepherd as their 2025 Rescue Dog of the Year. The foundation is a non-profit set up by the makers of Pedigree food for dogs, Mars Petcare. The pup named Relic arrived at the East Bay SPCA in Oakland, California with recognizable signs of shelter stress, including reactivity to humans and animals, according to the shelter. "Our staff, all too aware of how large breed dogs are challenged in a shelter, knew he needed behavioral support and patience to navigate his transition," the shelter said in a news release. "Additionally, as a 'working' breed, they recognized Relic's potential to build new skills and respond to positive reinforcement." Relic was moved to a private setup where he was cared for and trained while the shelter also worked to find foster parents for him, "knowing he would thrive in a supportive home environment." Foster to adoption Eventually, a couple who had recently lost their cat of 15 years, reached out to East Bay SPCA with the intention to foster a few pets. "The house felt empty without him (the cat) but we weren't quite ready to open our home to another pet," the couple wrote in an essay published on the shelter's website. "We thought fostering at the East Bay SPCA might be a nice way to have pets in the home without committing to it full time and be able to provide a needed break from the shelter for a deserving pet." The couple, who have not been named, started by fostering pets for a few hours before taking in pets overnight. When they received an email from the shelter asking if they were open to fostering Relic, his story touched them, and they decided to take him in. "The foster family provided Relic with regular behavior support including private training, phone check-ins, and counseling," the Pedigree Foundation said. Relic blossomed under the care of the shelter staff and his foster family, who eventually decided their home would be incomplete without him and adopted him. "Relic is a loyal, good-natured dog who is well behaved around the house and a sweet cuddler when we let him up onto the bed with us," his parents said in their essay. "He takes up a lot more space in the house than our cat did, and it took some adjusting to, but we love having him around now and can't imagine our home without him." Relic's parents shared he has now become friends with their neighbor's dog and the two take regular walks together. Some of Relic's favorite activities include playing with his toys, especially balls, chasing lizards and hanging out with his dad during his weekly guitar jam sessions with his friends. "Relic lays on the floor between them drifting off to sleep, as his feet move to the sound of the music," his parents said. Fostering: a key intervention for shelter dogs Pedigree said Relic's happily ever after highlights the importance of "fostering as a key intervention for shelter dogs," explaining that such program "prevent shelters from being overwhelmed with capacity issues, helping to reduce length of stay and helping more dogs find loving homes." Fostering is also important in preparing pups for adoption by giving them an in-home experience and "improving their social, emotional and mental wellbeing outside of the shelter environment." The foundation, which offers annual grants to shelters to help them "build and sustain the systems and processes needed to help more dogs get adopted," said East SPCA received a $15,000 grant in August 2023 which supported its Behavior and Training Program expansion. Relic was a direct beneficiary of this grant, receiving specialized care that ultimately helped him get adopted, the foundation said. "Relic's story is one of strong shelter pet advocacy made possible through the annual Pedigree Foundation grant cycle," the foundation said. To celebrate Relic being chosen as the 2025 Rescue Dog of the Year, the Pedigree Foundation has also created a limited-edition lookalike plush dog. The plushie is available to purchase on the Dogs Rule store for $25 and a portion of proceeds will help dogs find loving homes through shelter and rescue grants. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
