Associated Press – A bloodhound picked up the scent shortly after the “ Devil in the Ozarks ” escaped from a lockup in northern Arkansas. The hound didn’t have to go far to begin the hunt — it lives at the prison as part of a specialized unit that uses man’s best friend to help track fugitives.
Although the scent of convicted killer Grant Hardin was lost because of heavy rain, experts say that even days after Sunday’s escape, the animal’s highly developed sense of small can still pick up a fresh trail.
Bloodhounds are known for being tenacious trackers, said Brian Tierney, president of the National Police Bloodhound Association. They’re playing a key role in the search for Hardin, now in its sixth day.
They also save lives, as one young bloodhound did just two weeks ago in Maine. Millie, a 10-month-old hound tracked a 5-year-old girl with autism who went missing from her home on May 16, Maine State Police said.
The dog found the girl waist-deep in water in a cedar swamp, the agency said. Authorities credited Millie’s dedication and “incredible nose” for saving the girl.
Heavy rain interrupted the search for Hardin
Bad weather confounded the hunt for Hardin, who was serving a 30-year sentence for murder when he escaped from the North Central Unit, a medium-security prison in Calico Rock, Arkansas.
The hound found – then lost – Hardin’s scent when heavy rains blew through the area, said state prison spokesman Rand Champion. Hardin was tracked for less than a quarter of a mile when the bloodhound lost the trail. The fugitive could have gone in any direction after that.
“That was one of the most frustrating things, that they were able to track him but then they lost him because of the rain,” Champion said …
