With the proper guidance, even the most unlikely underdogs can rise above their stations to save lives and make a permanent difference in their community.
In a story highlighting the strength of spirit present in both humans and canines, Searchdog chronicles the work of K9 Search & Rescue specialist and former Rhode Island State Police Sergeant Matthew Zarrella, who developed the Search & Rescue K9 Unit for the RI State Police. Transforming "unadoptable" misfits into award-winning heroic K9s, Zarrella's work underscores the life-saving bonds between Search & Rescue specialists and their dogs. Searchdog airs Friday, July 22 at 8 p.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS.
Among the dogs featured in the documentary is the late K9 Ruby, a former Search & Rescue dog with the Rhode Island State Police. Saved by Zarrella hours before she was scheduled to be euthanized, Ruby soon became a notable and proficient Search & Rescue dog, even detecting human remains at the bottom of a lake months after the initial drowning.
Ruby's fortuitous rescue by Zarrella and the twists of her remarkable career as the K9 partner of Rhode Island State Police Corporal Dan O'Neil comprised the foundation of the Netflix hit movie, Rescued by Ruby. Rhode Island PBS Weekly coincidentally profiled Corporal O'Neil and Ruby the same weekend Ruby unexpectedly died of an acute, untreatable illness. Rhode Island PBS also proceeded with its planned film screening at the Park Theatre days later. At the screening, the audience had the pleasure of meeting Sergeant Zarrella and his newest K9 trainee, Zoe, as well as a surprise visit by actor Scott Wolf, who played Zarrella in Rescued by Ruby and joined the screening on Zoom from Los Angeles.
Searchdog is an 84-minute award-winning documentary that immerses the viewer in the powerful, inspiring bonds and reveals how the trust and training of a dog is the difference between life and death for missing victims. Packed with passion, humor, and "treats," Searchdog shows what's possible when two species work together, rely on each other, and dedicate their lives to saving others.
Directed by Mary Healey Jamiel, Searchdog presents first-hand footage of K9 searches, investigations, and training with various units across state lines, including those of Zarrella and the Rhode Island State Police, filmed over four and a half years, resulting in a powerful and intimate documentary.
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