Originally named Knox, this large and boisterous black Labrador proved to be too much for his Payson, Utah family to handle. They listed him in the local paper to find an appropriate home for this rambunctious pup, which caught the eye of SDF Recruiter Trevor Lawrence.
Trevor immediately reached out to the owners and noticed that, in addition to his energy and size, he had exactly what it takes to be a search dog candidate! When he arrived at the NTC, Knox was renamed “Hoss”—a southern slang term for a big, strong, dependable person who is built like a horse—by our Canine Care Staff after they got to know him! A fitting moniker for him as a candidate, we expected great things from this strong and dedicated canine as he began his journey to become a canine hero!
San Diego Fire-Rescue firefighter Alex Wallbrett applied to be a canine handler with California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8). Working as part of the CA-TF8 USAR team for years as an engineer, he had the chance to meet other handlers, solidifying his desire to become part of a canine disaster search team and made getting a search dog a priority.
When Alex first saw Hoss, he thought this powerful canine was incredibly smart and strong—and working with him has proved just that! The two made a wonderful team, mixing both focus while on duty and fun while off duty—and enjoyed good games of tug after a job well done.
The team achieved FEMA certification in October of 2021 but, sadly, never had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in the field on an emergency call. In August 2023, Hoss began to display symptoms of illness and declined rapidly. When it was clear that he was terminal, Hoss crossed the rainbow bridge peacefully on August 10 with Alex at his side.
Upon news of his passing, SDF Director of Canine Behavior & Training, Mandy Tisdale, shared with staff,
“Hoss was an amazing dog. Gone too soon. Condolences to his family, task force and all of his supporters. I will always remember Hoss for all of his antics and desire to hunt and play. For those that didn’t know Hoss well, picture this: During a rubble hunt for his performance screening he was running the rubble in odor, leaped blindly and landed in a deep concrete pit full of water. He was happily swimming around, trying to get out. We and a few Handlers fished him out and he promptly kept hunting and found his toy in pure enjoyment. We were awestruck. Hoss, you very good boy, you will be missed. Hugs to Alex and his family.”
Hoss will be honored at SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall so that we will never forget this wonderful canine and his service to the country.