Bruce Stafford - Woodbury Fire & EMS
It all started when…
The Woodbury Police K9 Fund was originally established through the Woodbury Community Foundation in honor of Bruce Stafford, whose 35-year career in public safety as a Paramedic, Firefighter and Fire Chief for the City of Woodbury and the surrounding communities made a profound impact on the communities he served.
On November 20th, 2014, Bruce passed away suddenly. The Woodbury Police, Fire, and EMS responders responded to this difficult call, grappling with their love and respect for Bruce and his wife Donna, all while maintaining their composure and professionalism, just as Bruce always did.
Donna Stafford (Bruce’s spouse) established the Legacy Fund to express her deepest appreciation to the entire Woodbury Public Safety team. While at the beginning, the deeply personal connection in honor of Bruce and the family’s lifelong commitment to public safety turned into a labor of love and what she calls the “perpetuity of gratitude.”
The purpose and mission of the fund is to purchase and train K9s and handlers in support of the community’s public safety and engagement missions. Since the inception of the Fund and through the generous support of our community, we have been able to help the Woodbury Public Safety Team’s rise to be one of the most highly trained, skilled, and respected K9 units in the region.
In 2026, after Founder and Director Emeritus Donna Stafford was elected to the Woodbury City Council, the Board of Directors extended the mission, honoring Bruce and Donna’s commitment to the entire Public Safety Department. Bruce & Donna’s steadfast support for Public Safety is met with the Fund’s expanded efforts to support the heroes who support our community. The K9 fund was started by Donna to specifically support the K9 department and will always support that mission. This new expansion of our efforts honors the legacy of Donna & Bruce with the entire Public Safety team.