Abby Connolly
It’s no secret that dogs are some of the most remarkable creatures on this planet. They’ve been helping us accomplish tasks and carry out missions we couldn’t complete without them for years.
Recently, a remarkable K-9 unit in Florida helped make discovering and rescuing a missing 11-year-old girl possible.
On Friday, January 26th, around 8:00 pm, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received calls about a missing 11-year-old girl in Wimauma. The little girl was considered endangered, so Deputy Sarah Ernstes and hardworking K9 Mary Lou responded quickly and took action.
Deputy Sarah and Mary Lou first stopped at the child’s neighbor’s home, where they discovered she had been driven to an apartment complex in Wimauma.
Suddenly, Mary Lou picked up the girl’s scent at a nearby park and quickly led Deputy Sarah to the park bathrooms.
In Deputy Sarah’s bodycam footage from that night, released in an official press statement from the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office, Mary Lou can be seen displaying what Deputy Sarah calls her “happy tail,” vigorously wagging her tail as she walks around the park bathrooms.
Sure enough, the unnamed 11-year-old was in one of the locked bathroom stalls. Deputy Sarah, another deputy, and Mary Lou patiently waited outside the bathrooms as Deputy Sarah calmly encouraged the 11-year-old to walk out of the stall, letting her know she was safe.
Thankfully, the 11-year-old walked out of the bathroom safely and without any injuries.
“Can she give you a kiss?” Deputy Sarah can be heard asking the 11-year-old in the bodycam footage as Mary Lou affectionately jumps on and licks her.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
