PORTLAND, Maine—The Planet Dog Foundation’s (PDF) Haiti Matching Grant Fund raised $16,000 for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation thanks to the support of donors and an $8,000 matching grant by the Joanne Woodward Newman and the Newman's Own Foundations.
The funds are being used to support the work of the dogs and handlers that make up the Canine Disaster Search Teams in Haiti who are trained to identify dangerous situations in rubble zones like those created in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. As clean up teams are working to remove some of the wreckage in Haiti, disaster search dogs are being used to alert handlers and searchers for toxins, explosives and other potentially hazardous materials.
"We are very proud to be a part of the generous Portland community, and to help support those dogs that are helping people in need," said Kristen Smith, the executive director of the Planet Dog Foundation. "Thanks to the matching grants from PDF and the Joanne Woodward Newman and Newman's Own Foundations, every single contribution PDF received for the Haiti Matching Grant Fund was quadrupled," Smith added.