The unnamed mom and 1-year-old were "safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time,” authorities said.
It might be police dog Max’s first day on the job, but already he’s proving himself as a formidable member on the force. The very good boy tracked down a missing mom and her 1-year-old baby in a remote area at the edge of a ravine in Powys, Wales.
“I was really pleased that during our first operational deployment as a dog team, myself and Max were able to safely locate the missing mother and baby,” his handler PC Pete Lloyd, of the Dyfed-Powys Police, said in a statement. “Max remained focused throughout the long search and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help which resulted in us locating them.”
The unnamed mom and child had been missing for two days when local police launched a search, officials said. “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,” said Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones.
Search teams were able to track down her car on a mountain road, which still left plenty of terrain to be searched.
“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.”
Thanks to Max’s expertise, they were able to track down the woman and her baby, who had been waving for help on the mountain side of a steep ravine.
“They were safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time,” Rees-Jones said.
Officials hope that Max, who’s skill set includes tracking and locating people in buildings and open air, tracing discarded property and tracking and detaining suspects, will continue to be a valuable asset to the police department in the years to come.
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