Missing High-Risk Patient Happy to be Rescued by Police Dog Panza

Published on: 14 Sep, 2020
Updated on: 16 Sep, 2020

Police dog Panza

Police dogs don’t just hunt criminals Handler PC McBrown’s Panza easily switched into rescue mode to find a high-risk patient missing at night in the grounds of a nursing home surrounded by countryside in Churt Road, Hindhead.

Concern was mounting because the missing man had severe autism and was disabled, so he couldn’t walk far without a frame. Medical staff and police officers had been searching for hours but didn’t know which way the patient might have gone. Then at 2.30am, Panza and his sharp nose were called into action.

PC McBrown said: “Considering the circumstances, I felt there was little chance of identifying a track and I believed the only assistance I could offer was to conduct a more accurate search of the grounds.

“I was confident it was safe to let Panza loose on an open-land search. I sent Panza the ‘Find him’ command and he ran directly into the bushes ahead of me. I could tell he was on to something and we followed him into the woods.”

The searchers found Panza standing over the missing man who was lying on the ground under a blanket. He was unharmed and delighted to see Panza, said PC McBrown.