Bloodhound Finds Lost Williston Child

K-9 Daisy and her handler, K-9 Deputy Scott Stancil

A recently acquired canine member of the Levy County Sheriff`s Department proved her worth Wednesday, when she quickly found a child that had been reported missing.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on February 2, 2011, more than a dozen Levy County Sheriff`s deputies responded to 13450 NE 51 Street in Williston to a report of a missing four-year old boy. Thankfully, the boy was found in a cluster of bushes behind the house within minutes of the arrival of K-9 Deputy Scott Stancil and his partner, Daisy, a three year old bloodhound. Daisy is a recent addition to the K-9 Unit which is supervised by Captain Scott Anderson.

Thankfully this situation turned out positively, and the boy was safe. The missing boy was upset and had minor scratches but he was very glad to see his father. The family was overjoyed and extremely thankful for the quick response and recovery of their son. Major Evan Sullivan comments, "This situation could have resulted in hours of searching possibly costing thousands of dollars. K-9`s uncanny ability to track suspects and/or people who are lost can equal the manpower of ten deputies."

Researchers have estimated that a bloodhound`s nose consists of approximately 230 million olfactory cells or scent receptors, which is approximately 40 times the number in humans.