GOLDEN, Colorado -- A Jefferson County Sheriff's bloodhound tracked down a missing 12-year-old over the weekend.
Deputy K. Fosler and bloodhound Jessie were in Wyoming on an unrelated call when they were diverted from their trip home for a request to assist in the search for the missing girl, according to a news release.
It was nearly 90 degrees and low humidity in a cactus-dense area, but that didn’t stop Jessie. Despite the use of a cooling vest, the bloodhound still needed to take a 20-minute break during the search.
For nearly two hours, the pair searched the Wyoming area where the 12-year-old girl was last seen before the dog pulled her handler back toward the direction they started.
Fosler thought the bloodhound had lost the scent, but it turns out the dog knew exactly where she was going and as the pair got closer to a home, Jessie went around to the back and near a large bush, they spotted the girl hiding.
Officials said that the girl was hungry, dehydrated and sunburnt after 20 hours out in the elements, but was otherwise uninjured.
"This is one of those stories we’re glad to share with the public because it goes to our core mission of Protect, Serve, Enforce," Jefferson County Sheriff's officials said in a news release. "We’re thankful this young girl is going to be OK, and we’re thankful Deputy Fosler and K-9 Jessie were in Wyoming and able to respond to help another agency and this family."
