LOUISVILLE, Ky. --
Metro police said a valuable asset lost over the weekend has been returned to the department.
When the story of Milly, a 60-pound bomb-sniffing golden retriever, was aired Tuesday, the 574-LMPD phone line lit up.
Milly bolted from her handlers Saturday afternoon in the Hurstborne-Stoneybrook area.
"They are hunters in nature. They think the dog got out of the screen door on the new home they moved into and may have chased a squirrel," said Louisville police Sgt. Robert Biven.
Saturday afternoon, an all-points bulletin went out for the 6-year-old golden retriever. Businesses and shelters were contacted, and an air unit was even brought in.
"It's very important to emphasize this dog was not trained in patrol tactics," Biven said. "It wasn't trained in an aggressive manner."
When searchers couldn't locate Milly, who isn't microchipped, police asked the news media to help.
Phone calls began pouring into police -- one with a story about a woman who had posted photos of a golden retriever on Facebook.
"She put the dog in her car and proceeded to Borden, Ind., 30 miles from Louisville," Biven said.
The woman found Milly at an AutoZone at Hurstbourne Parkway and Stoneybrook. From Jeffersontown to Borden, it was quite a trip for the police dog, whose expertise is sniffing out explosives.
Milly's story touched a lot of people who not only wanted to give information, but also assist in the search.
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