AUBURN — Biza, the Police Department’s German shepherd, helped officers locate a young teen who had been missing for more than two hours in cold temperatures.
At 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Police Department learned that the youth left his house without his mother’s permission and without his cellphone.
The 12-year-old was last seen in the Pakachoag Hill area, according to Deputy Chief Richard S. Mills.
Due to frigid temperatures, several police officers and state troopers were summoned to take part in an extensive search of the area.
“A 12-year-old out in the cold, wandering around a heavily populated area of driving and roadways, the potential of problems is out there,” Mills said. “So we’re glad that it ended the way it did.”
Biza — a 3-year-old female German shepherd and Malinois mix that has been a member of the Police Department since August 2022 — and his partner, Officer David Ljunggren, joined the search. Biza soon picked up a scent.
The police dog tracked for more than two miles, leading officers to an area where evidence showed that the adolescent had been present. Officers converged on the area, soon locating the missing youth.