Previously named Sequoia, this ball-obsessed Black Lab was recruited for SDF’s program by longtime volunteer Penny Woodruff in March 2014. Penny received a call from a staff member at Lassen Animal Control in Susanville, CA who thought she had identified a potential search dog candidate for SDF’s training program. Sequoia had been surrendered to the shelter by her owner, a local farmer, who said she was not well-suited for farm life and hoped a Lab rescue would be able to find a good home for her.
The day after she received the call, Penny drove through terrible weather to evaluate Sequoia. Despite gusty winds, rain and sleet, Penny decided that she had observed all the traits SDF looks for in a canine candidate and adopted her immediately. Penny says that through the bad conditions, Sequoia “stood on her back legs, ball in mouth, just as happy as could be… (she was) driven, focused and loving the game.” As Penny observed over the next few days, Sequoia had great search dog potential, saying, “I knew we had a winner in her. I have to say she was the hardest for me to give up. She just has a special gentleness about her that wins your heart over.”
Upon arriving at SDF’s National Training Center, she was renamed “Josie” in honor of neighbor and longtime friend Josie Willett and has proven herself to be every bit as wonderful a search dog candidate as Penny predicted. By Thanksgiving 2014, SDF trainer Emily Fisk reported on Josie’s progress that, “She has gotten very good at direction and control and… is doing longer and more complex patterns and does very well despite the difficulty. Josie really enjoys working! She did beautifully on multiple victim building searches.”
Josie graduated on February 27, 2015, when she was paired with Captain Brandon Budd of the Sacramento Fire Department and member of California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7).
Josie returned home to Northern California with Brandon and the new team trained diligently in preparation for FEMA Certification. They first achieved certification in September 2015 and then again in March 2018 and June 2022, which allowed them to deploy with their task force to disasters nationwide.
Josie and Brandon deployed on the following missions together throughout their careers:
- September 20, 2017 – Hurricane Maria – Puerto Rico
- September 3, 2019 – Hurricane Dorian – North Carolina & Florida
They continued to train regularly with their CA-TF7 teammates to keep their skills sharp. When not at the station or training sessions, Josie enjoyed lounging at home as a member of the Budd family. In preparation for Josie’s retirement, Brandon was paired with a second SDF-trained partner named Otter. We’re told that Josie and Otter got along great, and Josie taught Otter the lay of the land. Josie officially retired from CA-TF7 on June 22, 2025, when her FEMA certification expired, just shy of her 12th birthday.
On December 3, 2025, Brandon took Josie to a final search team training in Sacramento. Her health and quality of life had been in decline, and it was important to Brandon that their teammates had the opportunity to give her a proper sendoff. This sweet girl’s life and service will be honored at SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula, CA.