Sequoia Dixson (Founder/Handler/Trainer)

Sequoia earned her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine in 2022. Prior to graduation she worked diverse wildlife technician jobs throughout Maine. After graduation, she worked as a herpetological technician with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, where she gained hands-on field experience and trained her first detection dog, K9 June. During this time, she developed a strong foundation in turtle conservation, field survey techniques, and canine detection work.

Sequoia is currently a graduate student at the University of Maine and plans to graduate in 2026. Her research focuses on the population and movement ecology of wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) on Maine’s working lands.

Sequoia’s background in training dogs started at a very young age where she trained coonhounds for tracking with her family. Ever since she can remember dogs and dog training have been a huge part of her life.

Once she started working with conservation detection dogs she knew it was a her dream. Combining her love for conservation and science with her passion for dogs she hopes to help conservation initiatives and research.

Sunkhaze is an American yellow Labrador with a big personality. He’s incredibly outgoing, loves meeting new people, and always keeps the team laughing with his goofy antics. But when it’s time to work, that playful energy shifts into focus and drive. In the field, Sunkhaze is a determined and reliable detection dog with a strong nose and joy for the job.

He is currently trained on wood turtle, box turtle, and spotted turtle scent, and has also been developing his skills on wood turtle remains.

Sunkhaze was deployed for one season in 2025, where he gained valuable field experience while still under a year old. Even as a young dog learning the ropes, he showed impressive promise and continues to mature into a confident, capable field partner.

In spring 2026 he will be the first ever conservation detection dog deployed on a project with Maine Department of Transportation, helping detect and protect wood turtles.

June is an American yellow Labrador with a focused, and deeply dedicated personality. She thrives on having a job to do and brings steady determination to every search. Trained on both Blanding’s turtle and Wood turtle scent, June developed into a highly skilled and reliable detection dog in the field.

Over the past four years, she has located hundreds of wood turtles, playing an important role in conservation and research efforts. She worked for two years with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife before transitioning to support turtle research at the University of Maine.

These days, June is enjoying  traveling and adventuring alongside her owner, Lindsay, while leaving behind a lasting impact on turtle conservation work in Maine