A woman with dementia went missing. Fortunately, she’d bottled her scent.

BY KATE IRBY
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JULY 27, 2017 5:53 AM

An unnamed woman with dementia was reported missing Monday night. She was gone for two hours, but an odd item in her home helped a dog find her within five minutes.

And the Florida sheriff’s office wants that odd item to become more mainstream for that exact reason.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a missing and endangered woman who had dementia who had been missing for about two hours, according to a Facebook post.

When deputies arrived, they found her scent preservation kit, which she had completed two and a half years ago. A scent preservation kit involves the person wiping a pad against their armpit and then putting it in a specialized jar to hold the scent.

That kit allowed the canine, Ally, to find the woman within five minutes, according to the sheriff’s office.

“The woman was returned home safely and K9 Ally was rewarded with a special treat, a tasty vanilla ice cream cone,” the Facebook post said.

The sheriff’s office said they “hope” more people will get scent preservation kits. The kits are available online and include a specialized jar, sterile gauze pad, label, tamper proof tape and detailed instructions.

The kits are recommended for anyone with dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s or similar conditions.