Our Programs
From honoring K-9 heroes to flying drones over rural Texas to mobilizing for hurricanes — every Ruff Rough program exists to keep dogs and the people who love them together.
Honoring the dogs and people who save lives.
Our flagship recognition program celebrates extraordinary acts of K-9 rescue — police K-9s, search-and-rescue dogs, family pets that alerted owners to danger, and the everyday people who waded into harm's way for an animal in need. Awardees are featured in national press, on our Heroes page, and at our annual ceremony.
Drone search-and-rescue for lost dogs.
FAA Part 107 certified volunteer pilots deploy drones — often equipped with thermal imaging — to locate missing dogs across San Antonio and South-East Texas. Searches are free for families. Aerial coverage finds what ground searches can miss, especially in dense brush, large rural acreage, or after dark.
Mobilizing when storms hit.
Born from Hurricane Katrina, our disaster response program coordinates with federal, state, and local agencies to rescue, shelter, and reunite displaced animals during hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. We provide field support, supplies, and trained responders when communities need them most.
They mirror the arc of every rescue story we've witnessed since Katrina: a dog or person does something extraordinary, technology and trained responders close the gap between loss and reunion, and when disaster strikes we mobilize together.
Recognize. Search. Respond.
One donation supports awards, drone operations, and disaster response. One volunteer hour does the same.