In memoriam: Founding Handler Randy Gross – National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
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After a lengthy battle with cancer, one of Search Dog Foundation’s founding handlers, Randy Gross, passed away on March 17, 2024, surrounded by his family.
One of the original three handlers partnered by SDF Founder Wilma Melville and Founding Trainer Pluis Davern, Randy was determined to make the world a better place, both through his “day job” in the fire service and through his perseverance in making sure our program not only survived, but thrived. Randy, along with fellow founding handlers Rick Lee and Rob Cima, instilled in our program the integrity, grit, and work ethic that is needed to be a successful working dog handler.
With his beloved search dog Dusty, Randy deployed many times, including to Ground Zero after 9/11 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps most importantly, he helped raise awareness of the dire need for highly trained disaster search dogs in America through countless appearances and demos for SDF and mentored many new canine handlers and firefighters throughout their careers.
Thank you, Randy, for paving the way for so many canine handlers who have followed in your footsteps. Your life and legacy has and will continue to impact our work for many years to come, and you are sorely missed by all in your two- and four-legged SDF family.
Our hearts go out to Randy’s family, both at home and at the fire department, as we mourn the loss of this great man.
From SDF Founder Wilma Melville:
When I think of Randy, I think, I want to be just like him. He was always building and creating something. I specifically remember Randy welding the entire wrought-iron fence around his swimming pool.
His happiness and contentment in all that he did was contagious as I watched him through the years giving his time, energy and encouragement to others.
He gave to his family.
He gave to his neighbors.
He gave to his friends.
He gave to his church.
He gave to his fellow firefighters.
He gave to his community.
And he seemed to enjoy every moment of it.
We only have a limited time on this earth, and I am grateful to have known and spent some of that time with Randy, helping give to our country through this little program we started together.
From SDF Founding Trainer Pluis Davern:
From the day I met Randy as one of the three original amigos who started the fledgling Search Dog Foundation, I was totally convinced we could make this happen.
Randy’s commitment to the rigors of training and demonstrating to the many skeptics that this was a viable method to produce certified canines in short order, was evident from the very beginning.
His natural empathy for people and dogs resulted in an amazing relationship with Dusty his canine partner and the fire family that he won over with his due diligence to maintain his work schedule while putting in the extra hours for his search work. So many good times sharing stories!
I will miss his quirky smile and keen sense of humour and the love he gave to all of us.
From fellow founding handler Rick Lee:
Randy was my friend, my best partner and colleague in the canine program.
Randy didn’t know what he was getting into, but he stepped up to the plate to help support this new endeavor. He knew that his efforts could change how the Fire Service across the country by putting them on the cutting edge of canine search -and that’s an understatement, considering where the program is today.
Randy had a passion for the canine program because he put his heart and soul into it, and that is what set him apart from others. He also exceeded the expectations of the canine program and more.
Randy brought a lot to the canine program—determination, dedication and work ethic for others to follow. He has certainly set a bar for the canine program to follow. He gave all—100% toward the canine program that he loved and he was a natural at it.
Randy‘s legacy will forever last in not only in Fire Service Canine Search Program but as well with the Search Dog Foundation. He will be dearly missed.
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