Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Adds Bloodhound to Search and Rescue Team

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office welcomed Angel, an 11-month-old bloodhound who tracks down missing persons. She joined the crime suppression unit. This four-legged officer now partners with Deputy Bryan Hood in Evans, Georgia.

Angel has succeeded in two cases where missing persons were recovered. She can pursue scent trails hours after they've been left. That capability surpasses what most other search techniques offer.

"It drastically increases the rate of finding missing people," Hood said, according to WRDW. "We have our drones, and we have canines, but I can do things with Angel that drones can't see."

Hood described an instant connection when they first met. "It was the instant bond. It was when we went up and picked her out that we just immediately connected," Hood said. They completed training together in North Georgia. Now they're a certified search hound and K-9 handler team.

During one demonstration, the bloodhound tracked down a deputy who'd concealed himself between two trailers. Angel used only a glove for scent reference. The search lasted three minutes.

"She's very meticulous. She's very pinpoint and everything," Hood said. He described his partner's abilities as instinctive, requiring little effort from the dog.

This partnership has expanded what the sheriff's office can accomplish in search and rescue work. Hood said having the tracking dog alongside him builds his confidence in serving the community.

Angel supplements the department's existing resources like drones and other canines. Hood said the opportunity to locate missing persons drives him each shift.