WORKING DOGS FOR CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
10971 RUSTIC ROAD, MISSOULA, MT 59802 wd4c.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: PARTNER WITH DETECTION DOGS TO FURTHER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES AROUND THE WORLD. WORKING DOGS FOR CONSERVATION FOUNDATION ("WD4C") INTEGRATES SCIENTIFIC-DETECTION DOG TEAMS WITH ESTABLISHED MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO ADDRESS INVASIVE SPECIES PROLIFERATION, WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING, HABITAT FRAGMENTATION, HUMAN/WILDLIFE CONFLICT, AND SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES.

PARTNER WITH DETECTION DOGS TO FURTHER CONSERVATION. WD4C DOES THIS BY DEPLOYING DOGS ON CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES WITH SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION IN THE FIELD, AND MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS OF WORK AND CARE FOR OUR TEAM OF HIGHLY TRAINED DOGS.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WD4C HAS COLLABORATED WITH MANAGERS, RESEARCHERS, AND CONSERVATIONISTS TO DETECT NEARLY 40 SPECIES IN 18 STATES AND 16 COUNTRIES. MANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN GROUND-BREAKING WITHIN THE REALM OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY. WD4C PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE PROPELLED THE DISCIPLINE OF DETECTION DOGS FORWARD: FROM FINDING DIFFICULT AND NOVEL TARGETS LIKE A SUITE OF WIDE RANGING CARNIVORES, ILLEGAL WIRE SNARES, INVASIVE PLANTS AND INSECTS, SUBTERRANEAN ANIMALS, AND EVIDENCE OF INVASIVE FISH IN FRESHWATER STREAMS, TO WD4C'S GROUND-BREAKING WORK USING DOGS TO DETECT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS IN FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS.WD4C ALSO SAVES DOGS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF THE TRAITS THAT PREVENT DOGS BEING SUITABLE PETS SUCH AS REMARKABLY HIGH ENERGY AND TOY OBSESSION, CAN SIGNAL SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO BE A HIGHLY SKILLED DETECTION DOG. RECENT WD4C ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE:--WD4C PURCHASED 45 ACRES THAT WILL HOUSE OUR NEW TRAINING CENTER IN MISSOULA, MONTANA. THIS FACILITY WILL ALLOW US TO EXPAND OUR IMPACTS BOTH LOCALLY AND WORLDWIDE. OUR GOAL IS TO HOLD TRAININGS FOR HANDLERS AND DOGS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC WITH SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.--WD4C PARTNERED WITH WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO HOST THE FIRST CONFERENCE FOR NATURAL RESOURCE LAW ENFORCEMENT K9 HANDLERS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CREATION OF THE CONSERVATION CANINE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (CCOA).--AFTER AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH GEORGIA AND SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS, WD4C CREATED THE WORLD'S FIRST CANINE TEAM FOR SHIP-BASED BIOSECURITY. SAMURAI (WD4CS FIRST SHIBA INU) AND HIS HANDLER WILL KEEP THE WORLDS MOST PROLIFIC SEABIRD COLONIES SAFE BY MAKING SURE NO RODENTS, WHICH KILL GROUND-NESTING BIRDS, HITCH A RIDE ON A BOAT HEADED NEAR THEM.--WHILE WD4C HAS ASSISTED IN BLACK-FOOTED FERRET RESEARCH BEFORE, 2019 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THE DOGS WITH RADIO-COLLARED FERRETS. BASED ON OUR FINDINGS AND PREVIOUS RESEARCH SHOWING THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DOGS, WE'RE NOW MAKING PLANS TO PLACE OUR TEAMS INTO FERRET RECOVERY EFFORTS IN 2020 AND BEYOND.--WD4C HANDLER/DOG TEAMS WERE DEPLOYED AT EIGHT DIFFERENT NATIONAL PARKS AND NATIONAL RECREATION AREAS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO PERFORM INVASIVE QUAGGA AND ZEBRA MUSSEL INSPECTIONS. THE NASTY FRESHWATER MUSSELS COME FROM UKRAINE AND HAVE INVADED 45 OF 50 STATES, CAUSING MILLIONS IN INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE. THE TEAMS DID NEARLY CONTINUOUS DEMONSTRATIONS AND INSPECTIONS TO TEACH THE PUBLIC ABOUT WORKING DOGS, RESCUE DOGS, AND INVASIVE SPECIES IN HIGHLY POPULATED PARKS SUCH AS YELLOWSTONE AND GRAND TETON.--WD4C KEPT UP THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHING AND WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IN AFRICA THROUGH OUR K9 LAW ENFORCEMENT NETWORK. THE CONSERVATION SOUTH LUANGWA TEAM OF HANDLERS ATTENDED A ONE-MONTH REFRESHER COURSE ON ANTI-POACHING, SPEARHEADED BY THE ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTION AGENCY (ESPA). THE TEAM WILL USE THE SKILLS THEY REFINED DURING THIS COURSE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING IN ZAMBIA.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202033189349306353_public.xml