Lisa Bishop: “Cody and I were deployed to the Oso, WA Mudslide Disaster in 2014, along with Keith Taylor, Sean Oliver, Anthea Groves, AJ Frank, David Tagliani, Sue Bonney, and Rick Cox, all members of Northwest Disaster Search Dogs. Cody and I were deployed for sixteen days, doing body recovery work. This deployment was groundbreaking for FEMA in many ways including the first time 20 FEMA HRD dogs were deployed to a disaster, and the first time FEMA worked with the local community to search for bodies. It was grueling work, with the rain, mud and cold. Dogs were getting hypothermia and ended up having their pads split due to the mud. As handlers, we had to come up with innovative ways to protect their feet while still working. As an individual, this deployment was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but in the same breath, was also one of the most rewarding.”
