Mercy the bloodhound. Courtesy, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Florida’s many hurricanes and other catastrophes over the years have always brought out the best in our first responders – and that includes their four-legged colleagues who play a critical role in search-and-rescue efforts. Our recent brush with Hurricane Elsa along the Gulf Coast earlier this month is the latest example.
While Elsa’s heavy rains and strong winds were hitting Southwest Florida, a female bloodhound named Mercy heroically tracked down a 12-year-old child who had been reported missing just that day. As a member of the Lee County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit based in Fort Myers, Mercy was deployed to help search for the runaway 12-year-old girl. After the parents provided an article of her clothing to help track their daughter’s scent, Mercy and her handler, Deputy Travis Jelly went to work immediately. They began their nighttime search through more than a half a mile of thick woods. Thankfully, they were successful in their mission and the girl, whose identity was not disclosed, was unharmed despite the raging storm.
Mercy has received her much-deserved praise on social media with over 3,800 likes and overwhelming comments in positive support of her efforts. Mercy is part of Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno’s ReUnite program, which involves a “multi-layer approach to locating the missing and endangered,” per the Sheriff’s website. We are thankful to have our furry friends, like Mercy, help our law enforcement help us in times of need. If you would like to learn more about the ReUnite program, please visit the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 7-26-21
