DC police K9 helps find 2 missing people
A D.C. police officer is credited with finding two missing people in just four months, but this is no ordinary officer — it’s K9 officer Bubba, a four-year-old bloodhound. FOX 5’s Homa Bash has the exclusive interview with the department’s bloodhound and his handler.
WASHINGTON – A D.C. police officer is credited with finding two missing people in just four months, but this is no ordinary officer.
Meet Bubba:
K-9 Bubba is a four-year-old bloodhound who loves to play hide-and-seek.
“All he wants to do is get out and find people, and he’s doing an amazing job,” said Officer James Greene.
Bubba’s handler, Officer Tyrone Campbell, has been with the Metropolitan Police Department for more than a decade, but a K-9 handler for just about a year.
Together, the two are making a huge difference.
Last Wednesday night, a man ran away from his caregiver at a home on Constitution Avenue in Northeast. Because of his health conditions and how cold it was, he was labeled critically missing.
MPD put the chopper, Falcon 1, up in the air while officers canvassed the ground. And just seven minutes after Bubba got the man’s scent, he led Officer Campbell right to the missing man.
“We got there, got the scent with the vacuum, got a great scent, and that’s where Bubba could take me straight to the missing person who was standing about four blocks away,” Campbell said.
That was the second missing person that Bubba has found in just four months, using a vacuum that soaks up the person’s scent from a pillowcase or clothing. Bubba’s nose is so scent-specific, he can immediately eliminate the people he isn’t looking for.
“I wasn’t a big believer before, but getting behind that dog and actually experiencing it, it’s a very amazing thing that these dogs can do,” Campbell said.
A new addition:
For the last few years, Bubba has been the only bloodhound with D.C. Police, able to track missing persons and sometimes even suspects. Now, he’s going to have a partner in crime — Bonzo.
His handler, Officer James Greene, has been with MPD for 28 years, and in the K-9 Unit for nearly 20.
“Officer Campbell has taken the program from obscurity and he has made it shine, he’s hit the ground running,” Greene said.
Together, these two are hoping their hounds can help find as many missing people as possible as they’re trained to track their scent up to 24 hours after they’re gone.
And for Officer Campbell, every day on the job, his dog by his side is a dream come true.
“I’m born and raised in D.C., so to give back in the community, and to give families hope that someone is out here working hard to find their missing loved ones, that means a lot to me,” Campbell said.
Big picture view:
MPD has about 20 drug, gun and bomb dogs, mostly shepherds.
Bubba and Bonzo are the only hounds.
Bonzo came from a breeder in Spotsylvania County who wanted to donate the dog to police. He is in the middle of training and will be on the streets in the next couple of months.
If you see them out and about, Officer Campbell encourages people to say hello — if you don’t mind a little drool!
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