Costa Rica News – A young child, just two years old, went missing on a coffee farm while his grandparents collected firewood. They searched for him for six hours unsuccessfully, at which point a canine unit was brought in.
Foto: Luis Navarro
A dog named King sniffed a small footprint made by the boy and he took his guide over five kilometers away, through the dark, cold night that was full of sounds of frightening wildlife.
At 1:15 in the morning the dog went to one particular tree out of the hundreds in the area. He sat and barked, as trained. The boy was right there hiding. The dog and boy received many hugs.
There are 145 dogs working in the country. They detect drugs and explosives as well as track people and remains trapped or lost.
They can even detect traces of blood, weapons and money. They see the chase as a game for which they will receive a treat when they find where a particular smell originates.
Last year the canines intervened in 2,308 situations. They worked in schools, buses, boats, ports, planes, airports and border crossings. They helped capture fugitives and murderers and rescue innocent victims.
