Barney is a Live Find Disaster Canine currently working towards FEMA certification with his handler Lauren Canning. He is prepared to search disaster areas and locate live people that are trapped so they are able to be rescued.

At just 8 weeks old Barney was donated to Retrieving Freedom, Inc. by a Labrador Retriever breeder. Retrieving Freedom is a canine assistance training program and while Barney went through their program, the training team began noticing his intense fixation on toys as he matured. Barney's toy obsession, combined with the lack of an "off-switch" for his endless energy, led the trainers to believe that he would excel in a scent detection career. The Retrieving Freedom team contacted Search Dog Foundation and he was quickly trained to put his nose and energy to work. Barney was given his name by the Search Dog Foundation in honor of his sponsor's late husband who passed away in 2020. Barney is a loud and boisterous boy, so it is no surprise that being a service dog was not the correct career path for him. Barney has found his purpose and both him and his handler are ready to respond to emergencies in the City and County of San Francisco and are currently certified to respond to disasters throughout California as part of FEMA Urban Search and Rescue, California Task Force 3.