Pictured are the K9s at different stages of their searches including following the scent across a field and into the woods where they located the “missing” volunteer.

(MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania: November 12, 2023): On Saturday, November 11th, County Detective K9 Unit Tracking K9s Roxy, Dixie, and Olive, along with their handlers Rod and Ruth Johnson hosted a training day in Turtlepoint where they were joined by K9 friends Annie and Juxsym, handlers Donny Duvall and Kelly Werner, District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer, and volunteers Sonny Frey and her son Eli, Lisa Knapp and her son Evan, and CJ and Cayran Pagans. 

Throughout the day, one by one, each K9 was taken to an object that belonged to one of the volunteers and would then go to work- leading the trail with their handlers following them.

DA Vettenburg-Shaffer noted that the training exercise required the K9s to go through different terrain and across the road to find the volunteers who were all hiding a distance from where the K9s were given the scent.  Each K9 found the person they were looking for and was rewarded for their work.

The K9s and handlers train regularly to keep their skills sharp. They are regularly called upon by law enforcement and fire department personnel in McKean County and elsewhere to look for missing people – including missing children, vulnerable adults, and fleeing suspects.  They also participate in events with the District Attorney’s Office, including the McKean County Fair.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://mckean.crimewatchpa.com/da/136029/post/tracking-unit-trains-find-missing-targets