Ego Alley was born in October 1998 and at 7 weeks old, she was picked to be my next SAR dog. She had a rough start in life with some orthopedic issues.

Most thought she should not work, including me. I tried making her a pet but she refused to just be a pet so I decided she should be allowed to work as long as she was able to and willing to.

She has so much personality and so much drive—her whole being is about being happy to work. Luckily her talent is equal with her desire. With Alley, I don¹t train her—I merely LET her work. She is the driving force behind her career.

Nothing stops this little happy dog! She works without giving any thought to anything else happening around her. She works even without being given a command because finding sources is part of her core being.

She is unbelievable to watch. Searching is what she was born to do. There is a talent and driving force

I have never seen in any other SAR dog (I¹ve been doing this for 19 years and have trained 5 of my own SAR dogs, plus helped hundreds of others)!

I can¹t help but think at this point, that this special dog came into my household to do what she has done for our community and for our nation when they needed her skills and determination.

Her career has been amazing. We needed her and she was there for us at the Pentagon after 9-11. She was sent to Texas by FEMA to help in the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery efforts. She worked the devastation in Bay St. Louis, MS after Hurricane Katrina.

Alley has worked countless other searches in numerous states looking for those who are missing. She's found a child deeply buried for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She's found several drownings in rivers and lakes as well as others missing in different situations.

Alley has even worked with archeologists proving dogs can find historical and pre-historical remains. I am in awe at her talent and desire to find.

She was put here for a reason, and I believe that she is fulfilling it. This is this dog¹s calling in life—to serve our nation, our communities, and those families missing loved ones.

As far as her health goes, the radiation helped the pain and allows her to get around without too much limping. On good days she doesn't limp at all. She has been suffering from nose bleeds and now her recent blood work shows some kidney failure.

You wouldn't know it by looking at her as she is always happy and eager to work! (The picture of her in the boat doing water search was taken just last weekend.)