Sonoma County search and rescue dog featured on Smithsonian Channel show

When thinking of first responders, one’s mind often jumps to police officers, firefighters, lifeguards and doctors.

But what about four-legged heroes, trained over years to save lives and act quickly in a dire situation?

The Smithsonian Channel is featuring one such furry Sonoma County hero as part of its series “Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs,” premiering later this month, the Sonoma County Fire District announced on its Facebook page.

“When the world needs a hero, these dogs are the ones to call,” the promotional video for the show says.

Rocket was trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation as a search and rescue dog and joined the Fire District in 2014.

The half Belgian Malinois, half border collie was rescued from a shelter in Sacramento, according to the Fire District, and trained before moving to Sonoma County.

He was considered unadoptable because of his energy levels and was set to be euthanized if not adopted. Rocket has since been trained to channel his excitable manner into his missions.

Paired with Sonoma County Fire District Captain Mike Stornetta, Rocket is the only Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)-trained dog in Sonoma County and the only one north of Marin County and south of the Washington border.

The dogs are trained to find people who are alive but trapped in collapsed structures after disasters.

Rocket and Stornetta were sent to Texas in 2017 to assist with search and rescue missions after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc in the area, according to a Facebook post by the Fire District.

To watch the show featuring Rocket, tune in to the Smithsonian Channel on June 30 at 5 p.m. or watch it on Paramount+. For more information, visit paramountplus.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that Stornetta is a fire captain and Rocket was trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation.