K9 dogs are an indispensable part of every police department since they are capable of performing tasks that human officers cannot. For example, dogs’ excellent sense of smell helps them find missing people and suspects.
While there are many touching stories of dogs being used to locate missing children, one police dog recently went the other way, tracking down the child’s roots and helping him find his way back home.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, a neighbor in Monroe, North Carolina, reported to the police that they noticed a small child roaming down the street by themself and called 911.
Deputies arrived at the site and found that the youngster was non-verbal and autistic, but they were unable to identify him or determine his residence.
The police used Remi, a K9 bloodhound, to track the missing child’s trail back to its source in an innovative attempt to locate his home and reconnect him with his family.
Remi’s handler, Deputy B. Belk, collected the boy’s scent from his neck and forearms using a piece of sterile gauze before delivering it to Remi, who moved quickly. Remarkably, the canine guide led them the last half mile and brought them back to the child’s residence.
The agency stated that the youngster fled the house in a “secretive manner that would not have alerted his parents” and was “quickly reunited with his loving family.” Deputies came to the conclusion that no crimes had been committed.
Bloodhound dogs are rarely used in “reverse” like this, despite the fact that they have been used for many years to locate missing people. However, the department decided to implement the new tactic because it worked so well.
It feels like I’ve been here for ten or twelve years. James Maye, a Lieutenant Public Information Officer, told CNN that this was “out of the norm” and that “I’ve never heard anything like this being done.”
“These guys will start incorporating it into their training going forward, even though they don’t typically train on it.”
A Facebook post claims that Remi joined the UCSO in September 2023 as a 14-week-old puppy with “floppy ears.” He has clearly matured into a highly esteemed department employee who helps impoverished kids.
We are grateful for K9 Remi’s wisdom in assisting this boy in returning home! For law enforcement, this could be a very helpful new technique to help nonverbal people go back home.
