When a Young Girl Went Missing In The Night, The Town's K9 Unit Went Straight Into Action

Dogs are pretty amazing animals. They wait for you to come home each day, and greet you with a bark and a tail wag. Being friendly isn’t their only job though, a lot of dogs are trained to help people who are blind, for police work, and so much more. For one dog, they had a very specific job, and the training they had undergone was key to finding a missing person. Keep scrolling to find out more about what happened to this missing 12-year-old girl who vanished in the night.

She Was Missing

The little girl who had not been seen for hours was only 12 years old but had decided to go on a nighttime adventure. Without telling her parents, she had left her house at 9:30 P.M. and headed out all by herself.

This happened at the very beginning of July when the Wyoming weather becomes very hot. When her parents noticed she was missing, they alerted the police right away. They needed to know where she had gone and if someone was responsible for her disappearance.

Searching For Hours

The Wyoming police responded to the Weinert’s call and examined the scene. It looked like she had simply decided to go for a walk, but nobody knew why or where. She had not left a note telling her parents where she had gone, or any other information.

They had a general idea of the direction, and possibly a location that they could perform a grid search on, but that was it. Where had she gone? Did someone tempt her from her home?

Gone Girl

The next few hours were nerve-wracking for everyone involved. The girls’ parents began to fear the worst, and the Wyoming police continued to come up empty-handed. There was no clothing or any other indicators to show where she had gone.

Everyone hoped that she had simply gotten lost, and was holed up waiting to be found. It is much easier to find someone who stays in one location, than someone who continues to move around.

Bringing In Some Help

After searching for hours to no avail, the Wyoming police decided to see what K9 Units were available to aid in the search. That is when they came across Deputy Foster and Jessie. Jessie had been talked about in police circles for quite a while, as she was known to be the best tracker on the Colorado forces.

Her handler, Foster, was also said to be a top-notch cop who could find almost anything and anyone.

Arriving On The Scene

After bundling Jessie into the K9 Unit police vehicle and driving over to the Wyoming station, Jessie and Foster were led to where the girl was last seen. Jessie got to work.

She began to sniff around the area and was given a piece of her’s clothing to smell. Once she had the scent, she was ready to begin tracking. With Deputy Foster in tow, Jessie set off in the direction she had gone.

Meet Jessie

Jessie was just your average Bloodhound. She is a member of the K9 Unit in Colorado, and a Deputy Sheriff herself. If you take a look at her Instagram page, it is obvious that she had a very exciting life, on and off the job.

Her handler, Deputy Foster and her routinely go on adventures together, some of which find Jessie going for hikes in the Colorado wilderness. She also likes to show up to events and do meet and greets her fans in the area. Jessie is a bit of a celebrity.

Deputy Foster

Deputy Foster, herself was no stranger to missing persons. With a dog like Jessie by her side, she was often tasked with finding people, sniffing out danger, and making sure that no evidence was left unchecked at crime scenes.

That was why, when the call came in from neighboring Wyoming that a little girl had gone missing, Deputy Foster knew she needed to grab Jessie and drive over to the area right away. Together, they would go on a mission to find this child.

A Day Unlike Any Other

For Deputy Foster and Jessie, the day began like any other. The two woke up and greeted each other. Deputy Foster began to get Jessie’s food together. A big dog like Jessie needs a lot of kibbles, and there was no way this important sniffer was going to miss a meal. She would need all of her strength if she was going to be ready for what was to come.

After breakfast, the two got ready for work, and Jessie got ready to start tracking whoever she might be called on to track.

A Slow Day

Not every day on the K9 Unit is jam-packed and full of action. For Deputy Foster and Jessie, they did not have that much going on. A K9 Unit is only called in when regular police need a bit of help, and there are not always crimes that need a sniffer like Jessie on site.

Everything seemed like it was going smoothly, until Deputy Foster received a call from Colorado’s neighbor, Wyoming. It seemed like Jessie would be needed after all.

The Call

Deputy Foster looked down at her Caller ID and noticed that it was an out of state number. This wasn’t unusual, because the police force often has to liaise with other states’ departments on cases that cross borders.

Foster immediately picked up the phone and listened to what the officer on the other end had to say. She glanced over at Jessie and knew that it was time for the two of them to go on a field trip.

A Missing Child

A Deputy from the Wyoming office had called Deputy Foster with some news. They had a little girl that had not been seen for a number of hours. Her family was beside themselves with worry, and all they wanted to do was find her. She knew that Jessie was the dog for the job, and had one of the best noses in the state.

She immediately told the Deputy on the other line, that Jessie and she would head to where the little girl was last seen and join the search party.

People’s Best Friend

With so many different breeds of dogs, it can be hard to know which one to choose. Each breed has a very unique set of traits, from the coloring of their coats, to what kind of work they are meant to be doing.

Some are herders like Australian Shepherds, others are used for hunting like Labradors, and yet others, are used for tracking such as the Bloodhound. When choosing what kind of dog you want to have, you should consider what kind of work it will be doing.

Bloodhounds

Bloodhounds themselves, are a very special breed of dog. They have been bred to have a keen sense of smell, which you can see via their large noses and long droopy ears. Hunters have used them since the Middle Ages to sniff out deer, wild boar, and any other big games.

As they are quite large dogs, often reaching up to 50 kg for males, they are often seen prancing around in the woods, and out on walks. They also have a special place in K-9 Units on police forces in some countries, and that is all thanks to their noses.

Working Dogs

As a Bloodhound has a very specific talent for sniffing out hiding games, or in the case of this story, a lost child, they are dogs that need to work. They will not be happy being kept at home, with nothing to do but to guard the house or roam around the backyard, A Bloodhound needs a lot of exercises, and to have a purpose.

That is why quite a few Bloodhounds have been added to the K-9 Units of police forces in the United States. With that keen sense of smell, they are able to sniff out evidence, find hidden drugs, and even people.

The Next Day

As the young child went missing in the evening, the Wyoming police had searched all night for her. Jessie joined the searching on July 2nd, in the early morning. As she had been gone all night, everyone was extremely worried.

The area being searched was known for its desert-like climate. There were cacti dotting the area, and extremely hot temperatures during the day. Everyone hoped to find her before it got too hot.

Dehydration

The biggest fear, as the sun began to rise, was that she would become very dehydrated. There were no water sources in the area that would be easily accessible to her if she had indeed gotten lost in the desert.

Jessie continued to sniff around, and all of the search party members watched her hoping for the best. Morale was low, but they all had hope, and with Jessie on the scene, it seemed like something good would happen.

Catching The Scent

All of sudden, Jessie paused. She had been sniffing around the area for hours, but it seemed like she finally had something concrete. Looking up at Deputy Foster, she began to trot off in a specific direction.

All of the search party abandoned what they were doing and began to follow her. Jessie had finally caught a scent, and everyone hoped that they would find the girl safe and sound. Jessie continued to sniff.

Hot On The Trail

After what felt like hours, but was more like minutes, Jessie stopped once more. She paused, and began sniffing, then turned around. She was now going back to where she had started. Everyone began to worry once more, but again Jessie paused.

She walked over to a bush and began to nudge it. Deputy Foster followed her, and low and behold there she was. She had been hiding just behind the desert scrub brush.

Relief

As soon as Deputy Foster uncovered the girl, everyone rushed over and was beside themselves with joy. She was a little bit worse for the wear, but she seemed unharmed. As the parent’s questioned their daughter about what had happened, she explained that she had gotten lost, and decided to hide behind the scrub.

As the desert can be full of wildlife, this was a very good choice on her part. She had spent the night in the desert and survived.

Sunburnt And Dehydrated

Although she was unharmed, she was a bit sunburnt and dehydrated. She had not brought any water with her when she headed out into the night, and after spending a night and morning in the desert she was a bit dehydrated.

The police quickly provided her with a blanket to ward off the sun, and a bottle of water. She was parched and definitely needed it. Jessie had truly saved the day by finding her when the hound did.

A Big Thank You

If Jessie and Deputy Foster had not arrived on the scene, who knows what could have happened. Luckily, they were there to save the day. Jessie was lauded as the hero she is, and as her handler, so was Deputy Foster.

They make a great team and will continue to find missing persons together. Jessie’s nose is the real hero, and that is why Bloodhounds themselves are such a valuable resource to K9 Units.

Heading Home

After a successful mission, Jessie and Deputy Foster were ready to head back to Colorado. They had done their duty and found the missing girl. Now, it was time to go home and get some much-needed sleep.

This pair had been up all night and definitely deserved it. Jessie herself also deserved a bunch of dog treats, and maybe even a special meal. We are sure that Deputy Foster gave her something special.

Safe And Sound

If it seems like someone has gone missing, don’t hesitate to call the police. This story has shown us that they have the tools, and the dogs at their disposal who can help to find a missing loved one.

We hope that more stories have happy endings like this. There won’t be any more unaccompanied walks in the desert for her, for a long time.