Toddler Found Safe After Police Dog Follows Scent from Blanket

(DailyVantage.com) – A 3-year-old boy in Florida who was previously reported missing was found safely by authorities through the help of a heroic K-9 unit.

According to officers from the DeLand Police Department, the toddler’s parents reported their son missing from their home just before noon on March 29. Police immediately launched a massive search effort for the boy, focusing their efforts in a densely wooded forest area located behind the family’s home.

Corporal Damon Clark led the search, accompanied by the highly skilled K-9 Midnight, trained in sniffing out narcotics and searching for missing people. Midnight’s unique abilities were put to the test. Using the boy’s blanket to attune to his scent, Midnight and Corporal Clark ventured into the woods. Following the scent trail, they eventually found the 3-year-old unharmed and safe.

K-9 Midnight is being hailed as a hero for successfully locating the boy. The Deland PD commends all the officers involved in the search, saying in a statement, “This is the outcome we hope for in these situations: a safe return!” Midnight has been a member of the Deland PD since 2022.

K-9 units have proven to be very effective and essential in searching for missing people, especially children. Also, in Florida in January this year, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sent out K-9 Mary Lu to search for an 11-year-old girl who went missing. The girl was eventually found locked inside a bathroom of a public park and was returned to her family. Just last month in Auburn, Massachusetts, a K-9 named Ibiza tracked a missing 12-year-old boy for two miles in frigid weather. The boy was eventually found and reunited with his family.

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