“We wouldn’t have anywhere to start if we didn’t have the dog with us,” Deputy Sheriff Joshua Dye, Maverick's handler, told WBTV.
Maverick, a four-legged employee of the Union County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, is being praised for his work in tracking down a missing child.
Maverick was instrumental in finding a child that had been reported missing by his family.
“In that situation we were out on, we tried to ping the juvenile’s cell phone and the cell phone was actually off and we wouldn’t have anywhere to start if we didn’t have the dog with us,” Deputy Sheriff Joshua Dye, Maverick's handler, told WBTV.
The deputies obtained a “scent article” in the form of a blanket from the missing child's family which they then gave to Maverick, according to a Facebook post by the Union County Sheriff's Office.
The dog then led them onto a busy highway and down a road where they spotted the missing child, according to the statement. Maverick ran straight up to the child when he found him. The child was unharmed and has been returned home safely.
The sheriff’s department said in the Facebook post that they received the white English Labrador as a donation from a local family and has been a hard worker for them since January.
According to the sheriff’s office, Maverick loves tracking, when he has a scent he “continues to follow it to the strongest point,” says Dye. Once he finishes he is greeted with treats for all his hard work.
