TULSA, Okla. — It was a harrowing situation for one Turley family as their elderly loved one with dementia went missing on their 50-acre property. However, thanks to one special team, a family was reunited.
The call came around 2:30 Thursday morning and sent Tulsa County deputies into action. An 87-year-old man with dementia was missing.
"The family looked for him for a short time and then called 911,” Sgt. Ernie Mendenhall with Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, said. “Patrol deputies responded and looked but were not able to locate him. So, they called me to see if Missy could come out and help."
Sgt. Mendenhall and Missy are part of the Tactical Tracking Unit that found the elderly man in the cover of darkness after his family reported him missing for an hour.
“I think we were tracking for about 15 to 20 minutes,” Sgt. Mendenhall said.
Missy's keen sense of smell saved the day by bringing the family a sigh of relief.
“The family was overjoyed,” Sgt. Mendenhall said. “You could tell that they had a ton of concern for this gentleman, and you could just see the love."
Missy is a five-year-old blood hound and performs K9 Man Trailing. She's the only tracking hound on the team at TSCO and in northeastern Oklahoma!
“She came to us on a donation looking for a home, and she found a home with us,” Sgt. Mendenhall said. “She helps bring others home, and it's pretty cool."
With extensive training and certification, Missy is able to pick up any scent.
“The first thing we try to do is obtain a scent article,” Sgt. Mendenhall said.
He showed 2 News how it’s done, by giving Missy a sneaker. With one sniff, Missy will take off, tracking the exact steps of the person she is searching for.
“Depending on how long between the deployment, knowing that the person is missing and getting us deployed is pretty critical, because it shortens the amount of time that is possible to find them,” Sgt. Mendenhall said.
He adds, the sooner Missy is able to respond, the quicker she is able to trace their path and find them.
While on duty, Missy means business. She and Sgt. Mendenhall serve Tulsa County with one goal.
“We always relish the opportunity to help the community in a positive manner,” he said. “That is just a great feeling."
When the day is through, Missy goes back to being a typical dog, relishing in belly rubs and slobbery kisses at home with Sgt. Mendenhall.
“She gets to be a regular old dog,” he said. “She is a member of our family, absolutely."
Missy's job keeps her busy, but then again, a hero's job is never done.
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