One-year-old police dog succeeds in finding 80-year-old man missing in mountains

A one-year-old police dog from the Chuxiong Public Security Bureau's police dog base in Southwest China's Yunnan Province recently helped locate an 80-year-old man who had gone missing in the mountains, following a search operation that lasted over 30 hours.

An 80-year-old man from Sanjie town failed to return for an extended period after going up the mountain to collect firewood, prompting his family to report to the police for help. In response, the local police dog base dispatched an experienced trainer along with four police dogs in a joint rescue effort. Among them was Barton, a one-year-old police dog, The Paper reported.

Days of continuous rainfall had left the mountain paths muddy and slippery, with extremely low visibility. Coupled with the complex and hazardous mountain forest terrain, the search operation faced considerable challenges.

During the mission, Barton sustained a foreleg injury when accidentally pierced by sharp branches while navigating dense underbrush. His trainer Li Xiaohua administered emergency treatment before resuming the search.

About 35 hours later, at the sound of Barton's bark, the rescue team spotted the elderly man in a deep ravine, the Paper reported. Police officers successfully rescued him and conducted a preliminary examination, confirming he was in stable physical condition.

Barton was born on May 20, 2024, and transferred to the police dog base for training in September of the same year. He passed the assessment and officially started duty at the start of 2025, The Paper said.

Though only one year old, Barton is a seasoned veteran, having participated in 43 search and rescue missions and successfully rescued six people, according to the report.