JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — A missing 11-year-old is back home after a Florida police K-9 tracked her down in a wooded area.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said K-9 Patriot and his handler, Officer Arthur Tyre, were called in to help find an 11-year-old who had run away from her Jacksonville home on June 1.

“K-9 Patriot immediately picked up on the girl’s scent, leading his handler to the girl’s backpack she had left in the woods,” the sheriff’s office said.

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Officers said K-9 Patriot continued to track the scent until the girl was spotted in the woods.

She was safely returned to her family.

“Safe outcomes like this don’t happen by chance. It takes hours of training and trust to make moments like this possible. This was K9 Patriot and Officer Tyre’s first track together, and we’re excited to see this duo continue to do good work,” Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

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