Latest news with #Bloodhound
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bloodhounds hunting 'Devil in the Ozarks' fugitive are seen as key part of manhunt
A bloodhound picked up the scent shortly after the ' Devil in the Ozarks ' escaped from a lockup in northern Arkansas. The hound didn't have to go far to begin the hunt — it lives at the prison as part of a specialized unit that uses man's best friend to help track fugitives. Although the scent of convicted killer Grant Hardin was lost because of heavy rain, experts say that even days after Sunday's escape, the animal's highly developed sense of smell can still pick up a fresh trail. That's partly due to the 300 million cells in their nose that supercharges their sense of smell, said Terri Heck, a Bloodhound handler and trainer who works with the Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney's Office. They've got wide nostrils to scoop up smells, and their long ears often work to stir up scents as they drag along the ground. Even their drool plays a role, as that wetness wakes up scents, Heck said. Bloodhounds are known for being tenacious trackers, said Brian Tierney, president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. They're playing a key role in the search for Hardin, now in its sixth day. 'They have a big heart and big lungs and can go the distance,' Heck said of their endurance. They also save lives, as one young bloodhound did just two weeks ago in Maine. Millie, a 10-month-old hound tracked a 5-year-old girl with autism who went missing from her home on May 16, Maine State Police said. The dog found the girl waist-deep in water in a cedar swamp, the agency said. Authorities credited Millie's dedication and 'incredible nose' for saving the girl. Bloodhounds are also independent, a key trait for searches. 'When it gets to be a difficult search they don't look to you for help, that they go forth themselves,' Heck said. Bad weather confounded the hunt for Hardin, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder when he escaped from the prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas. The hound found - then lost - Hardin's scent when heavy rains blew through the area, said state prison spokesman Rand Champion. Hardin was tracked for less than a quarter of a mile when the bloodhound lost the trail. The fugitive could have gone in any direction after that. 'That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him because of the rain,' Champion said. A tip that Hardin was sighted in southern Missouri has been ruled out, Champion said Friday. Until authorities find evidence that he's left the area around the prison, they assume that he's still in that vicinity, he said. Hardin took almost nothing with him and left behind plenty of clothes, bedsheets and other items that are used to familiarize the bloodhounds with his scent, Champion said. Those items are shared with the dogs to give them the initial scent of the person they are seeking, Tierney said. It's a process that's standard operating procedure for Arkansas' prison dogs. Who is Grant Hardin? A former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, Hardin had been held at the Calico Rock prison since 2017 after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in a fatal shooting for which he was serving a 30-year sentence. Hardin's DNA was matched to the 1997 rape of a teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, north of Fayetteville. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime. Eventually, his notoriety led to a TV documentary, 'Devil in the Ozarks.' Champion said that someone should have checked Hardin's identity before he was allowed to leave, describing the lack of verification as a 'lapse' that is being investigated. Bloodhounds live at Calico Rock prison The Calico Rock prison is known for its bloodhounds that live in a kennel on prison property. The nearly one dozen dogs at the prison have helped many other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to track a variety of people over the years, according to a 2021 state audit report on the prison. Southern prisons have a long history of keeping bloodhounds around in case of escapes, like the one featured in country artist Blake Shelton's song 'Ol' Red," about a hound that hunts escaped inmates with "a nose that could smell a two-day trail." Dogs in Arkansas' prison system have also been used to help other agencies find people who are not dangerous, such as missing children, people with special needs or elderly people, Champion said. The bloodhounds tend to raise a ruckus when they find their mark. But the prison system uses other types of dogs in searching for children and vulnerable people who go missing, and those dogs tend to lick people and make friends with them when they are found, Champion said. Fugitives use spices, other means to foil bloodhounds Fugitives being hunted by bloodhounds have been known to take extreme steps to throw the dogs off their trail, Tierney said. Two convicted killers who broke out of a maximum-security prison in upstate New York in 2015 collected dozens of containers of black and cayenne pepper before their escape. They had intended to use the pepper 'to interfere with tracking dogs they assumed would be part of a manhunt for them after the escape,' a state investigation found. One of the men was shot and killed during the manhunt; another was also shot but survived and was captured. Hardin has troubled past in law enforcement In his first job as a police officer 35 years ago in the college town of Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas, Hardin struggled almost immediately, his supervisors said. He was dismissed by Fayetteville police, but kept getting hired for other law enforcement jobs in northwest Arkansas over the years. By the time he was the police chief in the small town of Gateway in 2016, 'he was out chasing cars for no reason,' Cheryl Tillman, the town's current mayor, recalled in the documentary 'Devil in the Ozarks.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suffolk Police Department mourns loss of K9 Scout
SUFFOLK, Va.(WAVY)– The Suffolk Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon the death of K9 Scout. Scout was a four-year-old Bloodhound who was trained and certified as a working dog. He was taken to a local veterinarian hospital for a medical emergency early Tuesday morning where he later died. He joined the police department in May 2021 as the first Bloodhound for the department in almost 50 years. Scout, along with his dedicated handler, Master Police Officer S. Powell, completed training and were certified through the Virginia Work Dog Association for Trailing. In 2023, they both received an Award of Merit from the Virginia Police Work Dog Association for multiple finds. During his time in the department, Scout received two Departmental Commendations and three Departmental Noteworthy Performance Awards. 'The Suffolk Police Department extend our condolences to K9 Scout's handler MPO Powell, members of the Suffolk Police Department's Canine Unit, and the community as a whole. K9 Scout was a dedicated member of our team that served the citizens of Suffolk well for several years.' says Suffolk Police Chief J. Buie. Chief J. Buie also thanks the staff at Tidewater Animal Clinic as well as The Cove for their dedication and tireless efforts regarding K9 Scout. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Former royal yacht rescued by lifeboat crew
A 1930s yacht that was used to teach King Charles III how to sail was rescued by a lifeboat crew after taking on water. Caister Lifeboat was called by HM Coastguard to attend to a 63ft (19.2 metre) vessel near Bacton, Norfolk, on Sunday. The yacht, called Bloodhound, was built for US huntsman Isaac Bell in 1936 and was bought by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1962. Paul Garrod, the chairman of Caister Lifeboat, said: "We found out she was a very, very historic yacht. It was a great job for Caister Lifeboat." The former racing yacht had been sailing from Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, to the south coast for sea trials. Mr Garrod said the boat was towed to Great Yarmouth, where its crew was put up in a hotel overnight. However, the skipper chose to stay on-board the yacht during the night. Mr Garrod said: "[The Bloodhound] is a lovely looking yacht, beautiful and well maintained... she is the most beautiful thing I ever did see." He said it was "great" to have been involved with the rescue of such a historic boat. The boat was bought by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in 2010 and has been berthed in Edinburgh as a tourist attraction. It was previously used by the Royal Family on holidays in the Western Isles and was used by King Charles and Princess Anne to learn how to sail. The Royal Britannia Trust said Bloodhound is one of the most successful ocean racing yachts and competed across the Atlantic, including sailing to Bermuda. Franck Bruyere, the chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, said while the boat was previously used for racing it had not been entered into a competition for decades. He said: "Bloodhound is safe. She has been receiving a lot of good care from the crew and the crew is very experienced. "Pleased to report that at the moment, conditional to further sea trails, the intention is for Bloodhound to sail further down south this evening [Tuesday]." The boat, which has been used for grassroots sailing, will eventually continue its journey for it to be restored. "She used to race... she used to sail around. For us there is nothing better than bringing her back to her former glory," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Princess Royal in first visit since Philip's death Caister Lifeboat The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust
BBC News
09-04-2025
- BBC News
Former royal yacht rescued by Caister lifeboat crew
A 1930s yacht that was used to teach King Charles III how to sail was rescued by a lifeboat crew after taking on water. Caister Lifeboat was called by HM Coastguard to attend to a 63ft (19.2 metre) vessel near Bacton, Norfolk, on Sunday. The yacht, called Bloodhound, was built for US huntsman Isaac Bell in 1936 and was bought by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Garrod, the chairman of Caister Lifeboat, said: "We found out she was a very, very historic yacht. It was a great job for Caister Lifeboat." The former racing yacht had been sailing from Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, to the south coast for sea trials. Mr Garrod said the boat was towed to Great Yarmouth, where its crew was put up in a hotel overnight. However, the skipper chose to stay on-board the yacht during the night. Mr Garrod said: "[The Bloodhound] is a lovely looking yacht, beautiful and well maintained... she is the most beautiful thing I ever did see." He said it was "great" to have been involved with the rescue of such a historic boat was bought by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in 2010 and has been berthed in Edinburgh as a tourist attraction. It was previously used by the Royal Family on holidays in the Western Isles and was used by King Charles and Princess Anne to learn how to sail. The Royal Britannia Trust said Bloodhound is one of the most successful ocean racing yachts and competed across the Atlantic, including sailing to Bermuda. Franck Bruyere, the chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, said while the boat was previously used for racing it had not been entered into a competition for decades. He said: "Bloodhound is safe. She has been receiving a lot of good care from the crew and the crew is very experienced."Pleased to report that at the moment, conditional to further sea trails, the intention is for Bloodhound to sail further down south this evening [Tuesday]." The boat, which has been used for grassroots sailing, will eventually continue its journey for it to be restored. "She used to race... she used to sail around. For us there is nothing better than bringing her back to her former glory," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office welcomes new K-9 recruit
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — K-9 Mac is the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office's newest Detention K-9 recruit, has learned. Fairhope is one of two remaining single-tax colonies in the U.S. — what it means K-9 Mac is a 9-week-old Bloodhound who has officially joined the SRCSO's team, according to a Facebook post by the Sheriff's Office. The floppy-eared, big-pawed pup will help law enforcement track down missing people with his powerful nose, according to officials. Currently, Mac is learning, exploring, and winning over the hearts of deputies on his team. Coffee creamer shipped to Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, among other states, recalled To support the SRCSO's K-9 Unit, visit their Facebook page or donate directly here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
