Do you remember your first day at work? If you do, you know that it can be quite nerve-wracking to be the new guy. You want to impress your bosses and colleagues, and you’re careful not to make any mistakes.
This U.K. police K9 dog definitely ticked that “make a good impression” box for accomplishing an amazing feat during his first day.
Max, a newly licensed Dyfed-Powys police dog, and his handler, PC Peter Lloyd, were able to track down a mom and her one-year-old baby on the edge of a ravine after spending the night outdoors.
Max was called into duty just before midday on August 1 when the force received the report about the missing pair. A search was immediately commenced, and two-year-old Max quickly put his training into practice during his first operational shift.
“The woman had not been seen or spoken to for two days, which was out of character, and her phone wasn’t working, so naturally concern for her safety was high,” Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones said in a press release.
Aside from the Dyfed-Powys Police, response officers, neighboring policing teams, and specialist search officers were sent to her residence in hopes of tracing her steps. Inquiries were also carried out to get as much information as they could about her recent whereabouts.
“Thanks to excellent work between teams, the woman’s car was quickly found on a mountain road. Although this gave officers a location to search from, there was still a vast area to cover given the amount of time she had been missing,” Rees-Jones added.
The newly inducted German Shepherd cross’ tracking skills were put to the test. Despite it being his first day on the job, Max immediately did an open area search.
The Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, an NPAS helicopter, and additional units were deployed to assist in searching the area. Max and PC Lloyd covered a significant distance before successfully locating the missing pair at around 1:30 PM.
Through Max’s guidance, PC Lloyd spotted the mom waving for help near a steep ravine on the mountainside.
“They were safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time,” Insp. Rees-Jones said.
The mom and baby were helped down, and arrangements were made for them to be checked over by a Mountain Rescue doctor and the ambulance service.
While the successful rescue was definitely a team effort, the inspector lauded PC Lloyd and Max for doing an awesome job during their first shift.
“I must give a special mention to PC Pete Lloyd and Max, who on their very first day since completing their training together covered a significant amount of mileage in the search, eventually locating them safe,” he said.
PC Lloyd joined the Dyfed-Powys Police K9 dog section in February and was on his first operational shift with Max when they received the report for the missing mom and baby. He has nothing but good words to say about his reliable canine partner.
“I was really pleased that during our first operational deployment as a dog team, myself and Max were able to safely locate the missing mother and baby,” he said.
“Max remained focused throughout the long search and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help which resulted in us locating them.”
Max is a general-purpose dog whose primary job will be to track and locate people in buildings and open air, trace abandoned property, and track and detain suspects. Based on his impressive performance during his first day, Max will surely do great in all these tasks!
This just goes to show how essential police K9 dogs are in the force and in saving lives. This good boy and his handler truly deserve to be recognized. Well done, PD Max and PC Lloyd!