Boudreaux
Bloodhound
Inducted November 2001
Owned by Sue and David Daniel
Nominated by Dr. Gary Raiczyk
When Boudreaux was rescued from a Fort Worth shelter in 1996, he obviously felt the need to repay the favor. The 5-year-old Bloodhound has become one of the top search-and-rescue dogs in the nation, winning national and regional awards in the process.
Boudreaux, owned by Sue and David Daniel of Dallas, has been a K-9 member of Search One Rescue Team in Dallas since 1998. Search One is a volunteer search-and-rescue organization that assists in finding missing people in the north Texas area. Whether locating a missing Alzheimer’s patient or tracking down lost children, Boudreaux demonstrates remarkable search-and-rescue capabilities. For example, an Alzheimer’s patient had driven from Sherman, Texas, to Kemp, Okla. His car was found on a deserted country road, which had barbed-wire fences on either side. The local law enforcement officials immediately ruled out the possibility of the man crossing the fences due to his age and health conditions and assumed he had wandered off down the road. Boudreaux, however, insisted otherwise. After Boudreaux searched for over an hour in a heavily wooded area behind the fence, a team of searchers assisted on foot and found the man, who had been missing for three days. Boudreaux knew he was hot on the trail, and due to his expertise and persistence, he saved the man’s life.
Such rescues are not easy work, even for a dog who comes from a breed known for their searching capabilities. Boudreaux, who has his American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen certificate and is a member of Therapy Dogs International, Inc., has attended numerous seminars, and Sue and David Daniel have put in many long hours of training. The training has paid off; in September 2001, Boudreaux received the ACE award for search-and-rescue dogs, a national award given by the American Kennel Club. Two weeks after hearing about that award, the Daniels heard that Boudreaux was being inducted into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame.
“It was kind of like a double whammy,” said David Daniel.
Dr. Gary Raiczyk of Carrollton nominated Boudreaux for the Texas Animal Hall of Fame. He has treated Boudreaux for leptospirosis, which is currently in remission, and is amazed at everything Boudreaux has overcome on his way to becoming a valuable member of Search One.
“Boudreaux has always been a pleasure to work with,” Dr. Raiczyk said. “He’s really gentle, and he has a great temperament.”
Boudreaux also has been a pleasure for the Daniels, who own seven other dogs.
“Boudreaux changed our lives. He has given us challenges, rewards, laughter and memories to last a lifetime,” said Sue Daniel. “We feel fortunate to be the owners of the great ‘hound from the pound.’”
