Colby-Abby K-9 Rescues Owen Woman
By Karyn Nelson
Jango, the Colby-Abbotsford police canine, couldn't have been a happier pup when he found an elderly Owen woman Oct. 27 during a search and rescue operation.
Officer Brian Rennie, the K-9's handler, said he was surprised Jango found the woman since she had been missing so long.
It is estimated the woman, who has Alzheimer's disease, was missing between four and eight hours.
"My dog's not a bloodhound," he said. "But he is cross-trained for tracking."
Jango is frequently used for drug searches as he is trained to sniff out marijuana, cocaine, methanphetamines and other kinds. Search and rescue operations are a little more rare.
According to the incident report, the Clark County Sheriff's Department asked for the team's assistance. The woman has last been seen hours before, and had missed her scheduled medication at 4 p.m. By the time Rennie and Jango arrived after dark, he was skeptical they would find her alive.
Because the trail was so old, Jango was not able to track the woman by trail. Instead, they used a method called "scouting." Rennie explained this is where he walks Jango through an area hoping to catch a scent in the air.
Since Jango is trained to search for suspects, Rennie signaled they were looking for a victim, not a suspect. After he removed the leash, Jango took off through the tall grass.
Shortly after, Rennie said he heard soft barks. He found Jango laying next to an elderly woman who was petting him.
"She said, 'It's OK, my dog found me,'" Rennie said.
The woman was very cold and could not move, but did not appear injured. She was transported by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.
Rennie was very proud of his canine partner for accomplishing the task.
"I think of all the people who were against having a [police] dog, and I think, he just earned his keep," Rennie said.
"I can say a lot about what he can do, but it's a whole different story when he actually does it."
As for Jango, the dog was ecstatic over his find, Rennie added.
"It was like hanging on to Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh," he said. "He was springing all over the place. They know when they do good things."
Reprinted from the Tribune-Phonograph.
