On July 7, emergency dispatchers in North Carolina received an urgent call from a passerby reporting a child walking alone on a Union County road. Deputies responded promptly but faced difficulties locating the child’s home or parents. The boy, identified as both autistic and non-verbal, could not provide any information about his residence, according to a release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
“Reverse” K-9 track leads to successful reunion
In a novel approach, bloodhound Remi and his handler, Deputy B. Belk, opted to perform a “reverse” K-9 track. Lieutenant Public Information Officer James Maye explained to CNN, “Normally, they track from where a person left to try to find where that person is currently. This time we were doing it reverse.” To capture the child’s scent for Remi, Belk used “a piece of sterile gauze to collect the scent from [the child’s] forearms and the back of his neck,” the sheriff’s office stated. Remarkably, within about 15 minutes, Remi successfully led the deputies to the child’s home, located approximately half a mile away in a nearby neighborhood.
Upon arrival, deputies found the home’s garage door open. They determined that the boy, around six years old, had left “in a secretive manner that would not have alerted his parents.” After ensuring there was no criminal activity, deputies provided the family with tips to prevent similar incidents in the future, the sheriff’s office reported.
Future implementation of the technique
The successful use of the reverse tracking method has prompted the sheriff’s office to incorporate this technique into future K-9 training. “I’ve been around for 10 or 12 years. I’ve never heard anything like this being done. It’s not something that these guys train on normally, but it is something they’re going to instill in training from here on out,” Maye said. Bloodhounds are renowned for their extraordinary sense of smell, capable of distinguishing the scent of one human from another.
A Remarkable canine team
Remi is just one year old and has been with the department since he was a puppy and received internal training from his canine handler, Maye noted. Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey expressed immense pride in his team, stating, “He is just extremely proud of the hard work, and dedication these guys put into training, and we’re glad we’re helping a local family in their time of need.” This innovative approach not only highlights the exceptional capabilities of K-9 units but also underscores the importance of adaptability and training in law enforcement efforts to protect and serve the community.