CCPD has new recruit: A bloodhound named Roo to track missing & endangered individuals
The Cape Coral Police Department has a new K9 Unit recruit — a specially trained bloodhound named “Roo” whose sole mission is to help locate missing and endangered individuals and safely reunite them with their loved ones.
“The 18-month-old bloodhound, who arrived at CCPD two months ago, was born and trained in Kentucky, where she honed her exceptional tracking abilities,” CCPD officials said in a release issued today. “Over the last several weeks, Roo and her handler, K9 Officer Drew Deberardinis, have been working side-by-side in Cape Coral, fine-tuning her skills in the unique environment of our city. After completing her Cape Coral-specific training, she is now certified and fully operational.”
Unlike traditional patrol or narcotics K9s, this bloodhound’s focus is exclusively on tracking missing people–adults, children, and individuals with conditions such as Alzheimer’s or autism–where time and accuracy are critical for a safe recovery.
“The addition of a bloodhound to our K9 team provides a specialized and powerful tool in search efforts for endangered individuals,” said Chief Anthony Sizemore in a prepared statement. “Our community can have even greater peace of mind knowing that we have resources right here in Cape Coral to assist families during these high-stress, emotional situations.”
“With her incredible scent-tracking abilities, the bloodhound will be deployed in cases of missing persons where traditional methods may not suffice, giving CCPD an added advantage in bringing loved ones home safely,” officials said.