A police dog who tracked down a missing 12-year-old child in the frigid temperatures of Massachusetts has become a hero, authorities said Wednesday.
The Auburn Police Department (APD) received a report Wednesday evening of a missing child who left home about two hours after he was last seen in the Pacacchoagg Hills area of town.
Due to the “subzero temperatures and the nature of the incident,” APD said it worked with detectives, Massachusetts State Troopers and a K9 unit to locate the child.
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Officer David Ljungren and his K9 partner Visa were dispatched to the scene and a female German Shepherd picked up the scent.
“K9 Visa was followed for over three miles, leading officers to an area where there was evidence that the child had been present for some time,” the department said. “Officers converged on the area and quickly located the child.”
The unidentified child was safely reunited with his family, and police credited Biza with the rescue.
“We are proud of K9 Biza’s hard work and are pleased to report positive results.”
According to the bureau, WebsiteAuburn’s only K9 unit is Officer Ljungren and his buddy Visa.
“Most importantly, K9s are often used to locate missing children, missing elderly people, or people with disabilities. [wandered] off,” the source said. “While the media likes to portray police K9s as ‘attack dogs,’ in reality, K9 bites on suspects occur less frequently than people think.”
