Disaster Dog Podcast

Mike and Rami sit down in the studio with Tim Houweling of California Task Force 3 for an in-depth conversation about his unique journey from a career in finance to the fire service—and how that path ultimately led him into the world of working dogs. Tim shares how he got his start, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and the passion that drives his work today. The conversation dives into the nonprofit organizations Tim developed, including HD Search Dogs and The Siren Project (www.thesirenproject.org), highlighting their missions and impact. They also take a hard look at gaps in current training approaches, what it truly means to be operationally ready, and the critical need to better simulate real-world stressors faced during deployments. This episode is a candid and insightful discussion about growth, preparedness, and pushing the standard forward in the working dog and rescue community.

Mike and Rami head back into the studio to wrap up their origin stories. In this episode, Rami opens up about his unconventional path—from realizing college wasn’t the right fit to the specific "why" behind his first working K9. We again dive into why travel is the ultimate training tool, discussing how diverse exposure builds a more resilient dog and a sharper handler. Along the way, the guys find common ground in shared trauma and their time in the fire service. Finally, Rami shares his vision for the future of the Disaster Dog Podcast and the community we’re building together.

We sit down with Macy Hunsicker of Virginia Task Force 1 after she braved nearly 10 inches of snow to make the drive from Virginia to Chicago. Macy walks us through her path into the K9 world, from her early days showing dogs in 4-H to deploying internationally on recent missions. We dive into the importance of environmental exposure, the realities of “washing” dogs from K9 programs and making those tough decisions, and her newest chapter—developing both Live Find and HRD USAR dogs. Macy also shares her perspective on working for the federal government and what life looks like in her newly found “retirement” role. We’re grateful she took the time to join us, and we know our listeners will enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

We kick off our very first episode with a special guest—Ryan Cusack of Indiana Task Force 1. Ryan takes us through his journey, from an early fascination with canines, to working alongside his now-retired live find partner, Jake, and ultimately stepping into his current role as Search Team Manager for IN-TF1. In this episode, Ryan shares stories of memorable deployments, reflects on how the world of search and rescue canines has evolved over the years, and even gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his recent flight with the Air Force Thunderbirds. It was an honor to have Ryan join us in the studio, and we’re confident you’ll enjoy hearing his insights, experiences, and passion for the canine search and rescue community as much as we did.