Missing Teen with Autism and Suspect Located by Illinois Bloodhound

A missing teen with autism and a suspect on the run in Winnebago County Illinois were located by Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Nathan Fey and his scent discriminate bloodhound, K9 Sadie. Dep. Fey and K9 Sadie have been partners for over 2 years since attending scent discriminate K9 training. The successful K9 trailing team has had multiple lifesaving finds and suspect locations during their partnership. Read more about the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit HERE.

Missing Teen With Autism Found

January 10, 2021 – WCSO Dep. Fey and K9 Sadie responded to a missing person call involving a 17-year-old with autism. The temperature was 25 degrees with a windchill of 15 degrees at the time of the search. The missing teen was dressed in only a sweatshirt and shorts. Dep. Fey collected the teen’s scent article using advanced scent collection techniques he learned during his Scent Evidence K9 Training. The missing teen had left his home on a bicycle. The search began at the location where the teen was last seen. Dep. Fey presented the odor from the scent jar to Sadie and gave the command to start trailing. Sadie trailed across an intersection and down a street before quickly “head popping” and turning into a wooded area. Sadie sat down, alerting that she had found her target. The missing teen had been safely located in only 2 minutes. Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley stated, “The temps were well below freezing and the missing teen was not dressed to withstand the elements for long. We are proud of the quick action taken by Dep. Fey to utilize his advanced K9 trailing and scent collection skills to help save the boy’s life.” Dep. Fey gave a Scent Evidence K9 Scent Kit to the teen’s family to help K9 responders quickly locate him if he wanders again. The American Pediatric Association states that 50% of children with autism will wander at least once before age 17. “Kids with autism are one of the most at-risk populations for wandering and going missing. A Scent Kit gives K9 responders an uncontaminated scent article to search with to bring them home safe,” continued Coley. Learn how Scent Kits can protect your family HERE.

Illinois Bloodhound Team Confirms Trail of Suspect on Christmas Eve

Dec. 23, 2020 – WCSO Bloodhound Sadie Works on Christmas Eve to Keep Illinois Community Safe! Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound, K9 Sadie, and Dep. Nathan Fey confirmed a suspect trail on Christmas Eve. Sadie trailed the suspect through a residential neighborhood to the main road, where a car had picked the suspect up. The trail was later confirmed by video. NICE JOB Sadie and Dep. Fey!