AUBURN, Mass. – A Massachusetts police K9 picked up the scent of a missing child and tracked it for more than two miles, helping officers locate the 12-year-old on a bitterly cold night.
Handler/Officer David Ljunggren and K9 Biza of the Auburn Police Department were credited with leading officers to the missing youngster, CBS News reported.
Auburn police provided the following details in a news release:
On Wednesday January 31, 2024, at approximately 10:30PM the Auburn Police Department learned that a 12-year-old child left their home at approximately 8:30PM. The child was last seen in the Pakachoag Hill area of Auburn and their whereabouts was currently unknown.
Due to the freezing temperatures and nature of the incident numerous Auburn Police Officers and Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police converged on the area in an attempt to locate the child. Detectives from the Auburn Police Department, Detective Bureau responded to assist as well.
Officer Ljunggren and his K9 partner Biza were deployed. K9 Biza was able to pick up a scent and began to track the scent. K9 Biza tracked for a length of over two miles and led Officers to an area where evidence showed that the child had been present a short time earlier. Officers converged on this area and located the child a short time later. The child was reunited with their family and is safe.
We are proud of the hard work put in by K9 Biza and are happy to report a positive outcome!
K9 Biza originates from Germany and joined the Auburn Police Department in 2022 with financial support from Massachusetts-based Vest-A-Dog, CBS News reported.
Finding the missing child this week was just one of several “finds” the police service dog has had in its young career.
