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Police dogs are an invaluable part of any police force. They can bring a lot to any team with their unique skills: they’re able to use their incredible sense of smell to track people down and find them quickly.
That’s what one smart dog did this week… on his first day of duty!
A two-year-old German Shepherd named Max was just inducted Dyfed-Powys Police in Wales. He arrived for his first shift on August 1.
Then he was immediately put to the test: there was a missing woman in the area who had her one-year-old son with her.
“The woman had not been seen or spoken to for two days, which was out of character, and her phone wasn’t working, so naturally concern for her safety was high,” Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones said in a press release.
“Response officers, neighbourhood policing teams and specialist search officers were dispatched to her home, and enquiries were carried out to try and trace her steps.”
Finding the woman and child was no easy task: the region was a wide open area with a lot of ground to cover. Helicopters were called in to look around the area. But the rookie Max was a crucial part of the search.
“This is where PD Max’s tracking skills really came into play,” Rees-Jones said. “Despite only recently becoming licensed, and on his first operational shift, he immediately commenced an open area search.”
Max and his handler, PC Peter Lloyd, searched the area, Max using his tracking skills to lead the way. Then, after just an hour and a half of searching, they spotted the woman waving near a steep ravine.
The woman and her baby were reportedly safe but cold and had clearly been missing for a long time. It’s easy to imagine how things could’ve gone wrong if they had not been found as soon as they were.
A missing mother and baby were found on the edge of a ravine after spending the night outdoors thanks to a police dog on his first shift.
Well done Max 🐾 👏 👏 👏https://t.co/8o3YKGZmcW pic.twitter.com/Xs1vIyzoUq
— Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police (@DyfedPowys) August 5, 2020
Max was praised by his fellow officers and credited with saving the day.
“I must give a special mention to PC Pete Lloyd and Max, who on their very first day since completing their training together covered a significant amount of mileage in the search, eventually locating them safe,” Inspector Rees-Jones said.
Talk about an exciting first day! Great to Max and his handler for saving this woman and her baby. This dog has quite a career ahead of him!
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