Cocoa Police Department’s K-9 Maverick Locates Missing Runaway Child With Special Needs

child was not injured, safely returned home

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – K-9 Maverick, a 2-year-old Western Shepherd assisting the Cocoa Police Department, recently certified for patrol duties didn’t take long to locate a missing runaway child with special needs.

At 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, patrol officers received a call about the missing child. K-9 Maverick was in the area, not yet on duty, but responded to assist.

Maverick, a newly certified patrol canine, is trained to track for missing persons. After Maverick was given a scent article, he began to track from the child’s bedroom window where he is believed to have fled the home.

K9 Maverick went west along the front of the residence and then turned north towards the back of the property. K9 Maverick then gave a proximity alert.

Maverick was air scenting and then went nose down again and tracked towards Pineda Street. Maverick then turned north again on Pineda Street.

There was a parked vehicle along the sidewalk up against a privacy fence. Maverick went around the front of the vehicle and found the child hiding between the fence and the vehicle. The child was not injured and was safely returned home where proper care and attention was given.

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