K-9 Ruger tracks missing autistic teen to Jacksonville parking lot

Good boy, Ruger! A hero police pup followed his nose to find a missing autistic teen in a Florida parking lot, leading police straight to the rescue.

The high-stakes hunt kicked off on April 21 after the terrified youngster vanished from his home, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

That’s when K-9 Ruger and his partner, Officer Chris Havens, swooped in to save the day. The four-legged officer smelled the missing teen’s sock and began his search, police said.

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Body camera video captured the rescue, with Ruger not missing a beat and dragging patrol officers through the brush and down to the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Ryar Road.

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The “paws-itive” ending came when cops heard the boy’s screams for help coming from a nearby business lot.

“You did a good job calling us over,” an officer is heard telling the teen in the body camera video. “When you see the police, you say something to them.”

“We’re glad we found you, we were getting really worried,” he said.

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After a checkup, the boy was reunited with his frantic family.

“When your loved one goes missing, we deploy our best tools to find them quickly and safely,” the department said.

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As for Ruger, police said that the dog earned himself a chew toy.

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“Because he was able to lead officers close to the missing teen, K9 Ruger earned himself his favorite toy and plenty of ‘Good boy!’s!”