We report on a lot of very, very good dogs here at iHeartDogs.com. But one of the best of the best we’ve seen lately is Tenneessee K-9 Fred, a Bloodhound who helped local authorities find a 6-year-old girl abducted by her father.
The pair subsequently disappeared into some of the state’s more remote areas of wilderness. But with Fred’s nose on the job, it was only a matter of time until the case was solved. And once he locked in on his prey, it was only a matter of time until the ordeal was over.
The Abduction; And A Search Begins
According to reports by local news sources and the Rutherford County Tennessee Sheriff’s Department, 6-year-old Kinzleigh Reeder was taken by her father, Nicholas Reeder, on May 26.
Local law enforcement believed the two were camping or hiding out somewhere in the Pea Ridge community of Tennessee, near the state’s northern border with Kentucky. It’s a remote area of the state where escaping into the wild isn’t impossible. So naturally, Kinzleigh needed to be found as soon as possible.
Fred On The Scene
When cops and sheriff’s deputies thought they had narrowed the search down to a specific area in Pea Ridge via a thermal imaging heat signature, they called for the cavalry—or in this case, one really awesome dog.
Fred’s handler gave him a scent of dad Nicholas’s clothing, and that’s all he needed to pinpoint the outbuilding that the two were hiding in. When Fred sat down outside the small, rundown building, it was the signal that he’d found the pair.
“We made entry into the building and discovered the suspect and child in the back of the shed behind blankets that were hanging from a makeshift clothesline,” Rutherford County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Holloway said in a statement on Monday.
Bloodhounds To The Rescue
It’s a well-known fact that Bloodhounds have some of the most sensitive noses of any animal on the planet. And those big, floppy ears? They also serve a purpose by helping trap and funnel scent from the ground into their noses.
And maybe most important of all, their “testimony” is considered admissible in court in many instances. It’s another of the numerous reasons law enforcement has been using hounds to track people for centuries.
A Happy Ending
After being found, Kinzleigh wanted to thank the pup who helped save her.
“The little girl’s asking to meet the dog that saved her. He gave her licks. She gave him a big old hug,” K9 Deputy Richard Tidwell said.” His reward for a successful find is his chicken. He loves chicken. If you say chicken he’s going to perk right up.”
You deserve all the chicken, Fred! Thanks for being a K9 hero!
Images: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
H/T: WSMV-4 Nashville
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