Scent Evidence K9 Partners Reach 1000 Find Milestone!
Scent Evidence K9 Partners Reach 1000 Find Milestone! Master Deputy Angela Keller and K9 Wyatt from Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported the 1000th find by our incredible Scent Evidence K9 partners with their latest missing person deployment on 11/8/25. Dep. Keller was our Top Performing K9 Handler in 2024 and is on track to repeat the achievement with 17 successful searches so far in 2025. K9 Wyatt, a scent discriminate Bloodhound, was trained by Scent Evidence K9 and donated to OCSO by our Florida Bringing The Lost Home partners Senior Resource Alliance in Orlando. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team was recently featured on WFTV in October for their exemplary trailing work. Read the article HERE.
“Master Dep. Keller and K9 Wyatt are setting the bar high and inspiring other handlers by consistently utilizing their advanced K9 trailing techniques to saves lives and protect the community. Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Senior Resource Alliance are the benchmark for how partnerships between law enforcement agencies and community organizations work to provide a high level of success in locating missing or wandering persons,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley. Thanks to MD Keller and ALL of our Scent Evidence K9 partners who contributed to the 1000 Find Milestone! Here are a few recent highlights from our Top Performing K9 Teams that helped reach #1000!
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Wins Jimmy Ryce Trailing K-9 Team of the Year Award!
Dep. Robert Mata and K9 Indy, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, received the prestigious statewide award on Sept. 9, 2025 during the 27th Annual Florida Missing Children’s Day Formal Recognition Ceremony in Tallahassee, FL. Dep. Mata and K9 Indy were recognized for locating a missing 14-year-old with autism. The Florida Bloodhound team used a Scent Kit provided through Florida’s Bringing The Lost Home Program to deploy K9 Indy. The endangered teen had been missing for almost 24 hours and when Indy located the youth, he was in water up to his neck in a heavily wooded swamp. The lifesaving K9 trailing story made news across the country.
The award given on behalf of the Florida Dept. of Lay Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation, and the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) Advisory Board recognizes exceptional, extraordinary, or outstanding activity that resulted in the safe recovery of a missing child.
This is the second Jimmy Ryce Trailing K-9 Team of the Year Award by Scent Evidence K9 Bloodhounds in 3 years! In 2022, Tallahassee PD Det. Paul Osborn and K9 Jon Jon won for their recovery of a 4-year-old with autism. “We are extremely proud of Dep. Mata and K9 Indy! Sumter County Sheriff’s Office was our first Bringing The Lost Home Program partner in Florida and they continue to do amazing work in locating the missing using scent discriminate K9 trailing and distributing Scent Kits to the community,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley. Read the article HERE.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Leads Deputies to Missing Endangered 82-year-old Woman.
Deputy Robert Elwell, an SEK9 Master Handler, used a Scent Kit and the absorption method to trail and locate a woman who wandered from her residence and couldn’t find her way back. Great Trail Dep. Elwell and K9 Remington and thanks to our Florida Bringing The Lost Home Program partners at Lee County Sheriff’s Office for their commitment to creating a safer community. Watch the Video HERE.
Jacksonville PD Bloodhound Team Finds Missing Endangered 10-Year-Old!
Dep. Anthony Yannuzzi and K9 Patriot responded to help locate a missing endangered youth who had been missing for 6 hours and was not wearing any shoes. Dep. Yannuzzi collected a scent article and deployed Police Service Dog Patriot, a scent discriminate Bloodhound. K9 Patriot trailed almost half a mile and located the youth walking near a park. Patriot trailed directly to the missing child and was rewarded with his favorite toy and verbal praise.
This is Find #19 for the Jacksonville Bloodhound Team. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is a Florida Bringing The Lost Home Program partner and does amazing work creating awareness about Scent Kits and missing person reporting for families and caregivers in the community.
K9 Honey’s Nose Locates Missing 80-year-old with Alzheimer’s with Help from Eyes in the Sky on Halloween!
Master Dep. Glen Pedersen and K9 Honey, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, responded on 10-31-25 to help Columbus County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina locate a man with Alzheimer’s Disease who had been missing for 5 hours. MD Pedersen from New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office used The SEKR Scent Evidence Vacuum to collect a scent article from a pair of the missing man’s shoes. Pedersen presented the scent article to K9 Honey, a scent discriminate Bloodhound and trailed from the residence to a pond at the rear of a relative’s house where the missing man frequented. As they were working the area, the subject was spotted by a drone operator deep in the nearby woods. MD Pedersen deployed K9 Honey from the new location. The North Carolina Bloodhound Team and a ground team searched the woods and located the missing subject. K9 Honey trailed 1.5 miles.
“This is a great example of agency teamwork, communication, and use of the missing person response protocol to put search resources in the right area to locate someone who had wandered,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
Great Trail MD Pedersen and K9 Honey! The NC Bloodhound Team have many missing person recoveries and suspect locations to their credit!
Canadian Scent Discriminate K9 Team Helps Locate Missing Endangered Youth!
Jessica Tuomela, a top ranked Paralympian Triathlete and K9 Lucy, a Scent Evidence K9 alumna, helped to locate a missing endangered 16-year-old on 8/27/25. Jessica received a request from the parent of a youth with complex mental health needs to help locate the endangered youth who had run away from a group home. Royal Canadian Mounted Police were attempting to ping the youth’s phone in the environment of thick woods, ocean, and hidden cliffs but cell service was disrupted due to the rural environment. Tuomela, the owner of True North Canine in British Columbia, collected a scent article from the youth’s belongings using the absorption method and deployed K9 Lucy. Video verified the place where the youth was last seen, and Lucy began trailing from there with Tuomela and a backup handler. The area was highly contaminated with traffic from people and animals and there were heavy swirling winds. K9 Lucy moved confidently and swiftly, working through many distractions along the side roads and game trails. Jessica, who is blind, utilized her backup handler to clear fields visually as they continued to trail. Lucy trailed on to a large golf course across from a local landmark as a call came in that the youth had come out of hiding and messaged their location to a support worker. The location was right across from Tuomela and K9 Lucy who continued to trail through a sprinkler system when they were notified that the youth was safe with the support worker. Lucy’s trail was later confirmed to be the correct path of the endangered youth. Tuomela and Lucy had trailed 2.5 miles in 1.5 hours.
“The temps were high and the pressure was on because a life was at stake but I knew Lucy and I were in great shape to bring Olympian level performance during the search,” stated Tuomela.
Lucy and Tuomela have multiple missing person finds after completing their scent discriminate training with Scent Evidence K9.
“When Jessica first contacted us, we wondered how it would work with her not being able to see. She told us that she worked and relied on a dog every day and it completely changed our perspective. We regularly show their trailing videos in our training seminars to show other handlers what can be achieved by trusting their dog. It’s truly inspiring!” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley. Learn more about Jessica and Lucy HERE.
K9 Belle Helps Locate Missing Endangered Mother and Child!
Officer Andrew Cason and K9 Belle of Kissimmee Police Dept. responded to help locate a missing mother and her 5-month-old child on 11/8/25. K9 Belle, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, trailed 2 miles to a shopping plaza where a witness spotted the missing subjects just up ahead of them confirming the scent discriminate K9 team’s direction of travel. This is the third confirmed trail for the Central Florida Bloodhound team.
K9 Belle was donated to Kissimmee Police Dept. by our Florida Bringing The Lost Home Program partner, Senior Resource Alliance in Orlando to increase available search resources in the area for missing persons and those with Alzheimer’s Disease and autism who are at high risk of wandering.
Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Locates Person Missing from Crash Scene!
Cpl. Steven Sella and K9 Zoe, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, responded to help locate a passenger that was missing from a rollover vehicle crash. Units had responded to the crash site earlier and transported the driver to the hospital. No passenger was initially reported or found at the scene. The driver later advised that his girlfriend had been with him during the crash. Due to the severity of the crash and concern for an injured party potentially unaccounted for, deputies responded to the couple’s residence, but no one answered the door. Cpl. Sella used the absorption method to collect a scent article from a single female shoe that was found in the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle. Sella presented the Scent Kit jar to K9 Zoe and deployed from the crash scene. Zoe trailed 1.6 miles directly to the couple’s residence. Upon arrival, deputies observed fresh blood on the back door. After multiple knocks, a female answered the door displaying injuries consistent with involvement in the crash. K9 Zoe successfully located the involved passenger, leading to confirmation of her welfare and further investigation.
Cpl. Sella is a Scent Evidence K9 Master Handler with dozens of missing person recoveries and suspect locations to his credit.
Banks County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Locate Assault Suspect Who Stole ATV!
Cpl. Josh Pressley and K9 Becka, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, responded to assist Habersham County in locating a man suspected of aggravated assault on law enforcement. Pressley used The SEKR Scent Evidence Vacuum to collect a scent article and deployed K9 Becka. The Georgia Bloodhound Team trailed 3 miles through a dense wooded area. It was determined that the suspect had stolen an ATV and escaped the area. Cpl. Pressley and K9 Becka returned the next day to resume the search, this time using a scent article from the helmet the suspect was seen wearing. K9 Becka trailed 150 feet to a camper with a broken window. The suspect was found inside the camper and taken into custody by an apprehension K9 team running tandem during the trail.
Cpl. Pressley is a Scent Evidence K9 Master Handler and he and K9 Becka have almost 70 missing person recoveries and suspect locations since completing their scent discriminate training with us in early 2022. Ironically, the Georgia Bloodhound Team’s first find involved locating an 87-year-old man who had fallen off his ATV in the woods and couldn’t get back up. The Georgia Bloodhound Team tied for first place in our 2024 Top Dog Awards in 2024. Read the article HERE. Congrats and Great Trail Cpl. Pressley and K9 Becka and Thanks to the Banks County Sheriff’s Office for their commitment to creating a safer community.
K9 Buster Helps Locate Missing Endangered Person!
Dep. Kathryn Touchstone and K9 Buster, a scent discriminate Beagle with Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded on 10/16/25 to help locate an endangered person who had been missing for 3 hours. Dep. Touchstone collected a scent article and deployed K9 Buster from the person’s last location obtained from a locating app at the subject’s home 3 hours prior. Buster the Beagle trailed 1.08 miles and as they neared the target, a Deputy located the subject just up ahead of their trail. The subject was safe and unharmed.
“Dep. Touchstone utilized her scent discriminate trailing skills to confirm the trail and place search resources where they needed to be to find the missing person. They did another great job!”, stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
Dep. Touchstone and K9 Buster are knocking it out of the park and have reported many missing person recoveries to us.
It’s Bloodhound Time in Tennessee!
Jonesboro PD Bloodhound Team Uses SEKR to Locate Evidence and Suspect! On 8-13-25 Officer Adam Depew and K9 Daryl, a Scent Evidence K9 alumnus, responded to help locate a suspect who fled after a traffic stop. The suspect was last seen running down a highway and into a field. Ofc. Depew collected scent from the suspect’s vehicle using the SEKR Scent Evidence Vacuum and presented the scent jar to K9 Daryl. K9 Daryl trailed 500 feet into an open field and located a hat belonging to the suspect along the way. The East TN Bloodhound team continued trailing for approximately 2500 ft and located the suspect concealed under brush. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.
“We use the phrase Good Start, Good Finish, Bad Start, No Finish in our training seminars. Ofc. Depew used the SEKR to collect an effective uncontaminated scent article before deploying. This helped to give them a Good Start to locate the suspect quickly,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
K9 Legend Locates Missing Endangered Elderly Georgia Man in Only 7 Minutes!
Liberty County Sheriff’s Sgt. Cassandra Carter and K9 Legend responded to assist Bryan County Sheriff’s Office in locating a missing elderly man on July 31, 2025 who had wandered from his home and had taken off his tracking bracelet. Sgt. Carter used the absorption method and a Scent Kit to collect a scent article from the man’s cap. The man had been missing for 2 hours, and the temps were around 100 degrees. K9 Legend, a scent discriminate trailing K9, quickly trailed directly to the missing man who was 100 yards away lying down in the woods behind his home. The trail took 7 minutes!
“Sgt. Carter, who is one of our Master Handlers, and K9 Legend used their lifesaving advanced trailing skills and scent collection methods to quickly find the elderly man and bring him home safe in the extreme heat.” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
Liberty County Sheriff’s Office is a participating Bringing The Lost Home Program agency and has trained with Scent Evidence K9 for years and was awarded the Kevin and Avonte grant to enhance their scent discriminate K9 trailing capabilities to locate missing persons with Alzheimer’s Disease or autism who are at high risk of wandering.
Bloodhound K9 Keva Locates Assault with a Deadly Weapon Suspect for Find #47!
Dep. Gabe Jasso and K9 Keva of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept. responded to help locate a suspect who hit her dad in the face with a rock and broke his nose. The suspect fled on a bike and had a blow out down the street causing her to drop all her belongings including puppy food. Dep. Jasso used the belongings to collect a scent article and presented it to K9 Keva. Keva quickly picked up the trail and located the suspect who was running from them about a quarter mile away. The suspect was holding a Pitbull puppy in her arms.
Dep. Jasso is a Scent Evidence K9 Master Handler and this is K9 Keva’s 47th find since completing training with us in Tallahassee!
Elbert County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Uses The SEKR To Find Missing Endangered Adult!
Capt. Adam Moss and K9 Rusty had their first find on 9/24/25 when they responded to help locate an endangered adult who had been missing for 2 hours. Capt. Moss used The SEKR Scent Evidence Vacuum to collect a scent article from the subject’s shoe and presented the scent jar to K9 Rusty, a 10-month-old scent discriminate Bloodhound. The Georgia Bloodhound Team trailed 150 yards in a heavily contaminated area and located the missing person in the back of an apartment complex.
Moss and Rusty completed their scent discriminate K9 training with Scent Evidence K9 in August. Great Trail Capt. Moss and K9 Rusty and congrats on your first find!
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office K9 Team Locates Crash Suspect.
Dep. John Smith and K9 Oti responded to the scene of a wreck on 10/25/25. Upon arrival, they were advised that the suspect had taken off and was running through people’s yards. Dep. Smith deployed K9 Oti from the place where the suspect was last seen. The North Carolina K9 Team used their scent discriminate trailing skills to locate the suspect hiding in the thick brush of a muddy ditch. The suspect was placed under arrest by officers at the scene. “We’re proud to train with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office K9 Teams. They are having a lot of trailing success and are doing a great job keeping the community safe,” stated Scent Evidence k9 CEO, Paul Coley.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Finds Missing 79-year-old with Dementia who Wandered from Home!
Putnam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jake Dronebarger and K9 Iris, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, responded to help locate the missing man who wandered in 40-degree temps on 11/6/25. The Tennessee Bloodhound team utilized the SEKR Scent Evidence vacuum to collect a scent article from the missing man’s recliner. Sgt. Dronebarger deployed K9 Iris and trailed approximately 150 yards to the man, who was located standing in a field next to a pond.
Dep. Dronebarger and K9 Iris have many missing person recoveries and suspect locations to their credit and Sgt. Dronebarger is a Scent Evidence K9 Master Handler.
K9 Naji Locates Missing Man with Alzheimer’s for Find #12!
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Nathan Bakker and K9 Naji, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound, responded to help Victorville PD locate a 76-year-old critical missing adult who was on hospice and diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease. The missing subject had not been seen for 6 hours. Dep. Bakker collected a scent article from the residence and deployed K9 Naji. K9 Naji trailed south for approximately 3 blocks to a gas station. Deputies checked the gas station and located the subject safe inside.
This is the 12th find for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept. Bloodhound Team since completing their scent discriminate training with Scent Evidence K9 in Tallahassee.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound Team Helps Locate Person Missing from Hospital
Dep. Allan Darcey and K9 Roscoe responded to help locate a man missing from an area hospital on 9/10/25. There were no witnesses or videos available placing him outside the hospital. Dep. Darcey found the person’s hospital gown balled up on the toilet in his room and collected a scent article from it to deploy K9 Roscoe, a Scent Evidence K9 trained Bloodhound. The Orange County Bloodhound Team trailed down a long hallway through automatic doors that led outside. K9 Roscoe continued trailing through a parking garage that was under construction and turned north up the sidewalk. Patrol Units were made aware during this time that a person matching the description was just up ahead. As K9 Roscoe came up to the overpass, a patrol unit made contact with the missing person. Darcey and Roscoe were about 400 ft. away trailing in the direction of the missing person when he was located.
“Dep. Darcey and K9 Roscoe used their trailing skills and missing person protocol training to help responders confirm that they were searching in the right area. It saves a lot of response time and search resources,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
WSMV Channel 4 News feature on TN Bringing The Lost Home Partners
Check out the article about how Bedford, Moore, and Franklin County Emergency Management Agencies in TN are using Scent Evidence K9 Scent Kits, scent collection technology, and scent discriminate Bloodhounds to Bring The Lost Home! Read the article HERE.
K9 Daisy Mae Locates Suspect Who Bailed Out After Traffic Stop!
On 8/18/25 Dep. Melanie Merritt and K9 Daisy Mae of St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office responded to help locate a suspect who bailed out after SJSO Deputies pulled over a truck for speeding. 2 passengers bailed out of the vehicle and ran into the woods. Dep. Merritt used a Scent Kit and the absorption method of scent collection to obtain a scent article and presented it to K9 Daisy. Daisy Mae trailed the scent for a mile through heavily wooded areas and water and led officers directly to one of the suspects hiding in the brush. The suspect was arrested. Check out the bodycam footage of the search on the SJSO Facebook page HERE!
Our scent discriminate K9 team partners from Florida to California work and train hard to locate missing endangered missing persons and the need for these specialized K9 search skills continues to grow. People with Alzheimer’s Disease and children with autism are among the highest at-risk groups for wandering. “60% of people with dementia or 3 in 5 will go missing and the number is almost as high for children with autism. Our mission is for communities to have a well-trained scent discriminate K9 team ready to respond quickly and bring them home safe to their families and caregivers,” stated Scent Evidence K9 CEO, Paul Coley.
THANK YOU to our incredible Bringing The Lost Home Partners for the work you do every day to keep your community safe. To see more of their stories visit and follow our Facebook or Instagram pages.
