JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 JSO\u2019s K-9 unit played a crucial role in locating a missing 9-year-old boy just a few hours after it was reported that he had left his home on the Northside Monday afternoon. <\/p>\n
K-9 Patriot, a bloodhound, helped bring the boy back safely to his family. Patriot\u2019s tracking depends on following the scent of the person he is searching for.<\/p>\n
The dog\u2019s handler explained how they found an important lead early in the search.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen [the boy] was running away, one of his shoes fell off,\u201d Officer Anthony Yannuzzi explained. \u201cThat\u2019s the perfect thing we can use [because] it\u2019s uncontaminated, [and] only has the child\u2019s scent on it…so I let Patriot smell his shoe and he took off from there.\u201d <\/p>\n
The officer said they combined following Patriot\u2019s scent with talking to neighbors who had seen the boy earlier. This approach led them through several yards for more than an hour.<\/p>\n
Due to the heat, K-9 Patriot began to tire, and Officer Yannuzzi was preparing to give him a break. However, something changed that plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we\u2019re walking back to the car, his head snaps and goes diving into a bush a couple of houses down, and the kid was hiding in the bush,\u201d Yannuzzi said. <\/p>\n
The officer shared that the boy was initially scared of the dog, but by the time they emerged from the bushes, the boy was petting K-9 Patriot.<\/p>\n
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