Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/k9-dog-finds-missing-child-florida/
A police dog with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is being hailed a hero after locating a missing child during tropical Storm Elsa.
According to a Facebook post by the Lee County Sherrif’s Office, a K9 dog named Mercy, who is part of Sheriff Carmine Marceno’s Reunite Program, was brought in to assist a search for a missing juvenile.
The 12-year-old was reported as both missing and endangered, while Storm Elsa tore the area apart.
Heavy rain and winds ripped across the coast, killing one person in Jacksonville, FL, and injuring 10 others. The storm caused fallen trees, power outages, and floods – it was even classified a hurricane for part of its duration.
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Thankfully, the authorities reported in the Facebook post, “Despite severe weather from Tropical Storm Elsa, Mercy tracked the little girl for more than half a mile through thick woods.”
They concluded the post, saying, “Mercy found her and brought her safely back home to her family.”
Naturally, Mercy has been deemed a hero, and we can only imagine what might’ve happened had it not been for her efforts on the rescue mission.
According to Newsweek, a public information officer shared that the 12-year-old’s family had called to report the missing girl earlier in the week. She’d reportedly run away from home, and her family was worried about it, particularly with the storm at hand.
“In addition to the child’s age, the weather conditions contributed to the urgency of the call,” they said.
While the child’s identity was not made public, it was made publically announced that she was located safely, thanks to the efforts of the female bloodhound, and her handler, Deputy Travis Jelly.
Lee County Sherrif Carmine Marceno’s Reunite Program was created with United Way and the Sheriff’s Youth Activities League, as a unique and multi-layered way to approach locating missing and endangered persons. It’s clear that their program is working, and I’m sure we’ll see many more success stories in the coming future.
For now, Mercy deserves a nice treat and a lot of love and praise.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
