(l-r) Rhett Mauck with Rotary Club President Andy Klittich after speaking to the group last week. Mauck is the Director of Development of Search Dog Foundation, founded by Wilma Melville. She and her FEMA certified search dog were deployed to the Oklahoma City bombing site where only one survivor was found by the dog. It was then she realized there was a severe shortage of search dogs, so she founded this Foundation in 1996. It is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization based in Santa Paula. The purpose is to strengthen disaster response by producing highly skilled canine disaster search teams to search for missing persons and victims of natural and man-made disasters. Canine recruitment is from rescued dogs which are tested and trained. If the dogs are exceptional, they will train from 8 to 12 months, then partner with a first responder and train together to receive certification for deployment. Dogs who do not complete the training are placed in another career or adopted into a “fur-ever” home. Healthcare needs are given to all active and retired dogs for the remainder of their lives. [Courtesy Rotary Club member Martha Richardson]