DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Fla. – It’s not every day that a K9 unit is recognized for its efforts in finding a missing person and returning them home.

The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) K9 Tracking Team at the Baker Re-Entry Center recently assisted the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in locating a missing 78-year-old disabled woman in MacClenny.

“We take great pride in serving the surrounding community, especially in times of need like this,” said Baker’s director of reentry, Ronnie Woodall. “Our K9 tracking teams are the best in the business and we truly appreciate the relationship we have with our local law enforcement partners who provide the pathway to ensure that individuals like this can be brought home safely.”

The FDC K9 unit is usually tasked with finding and capturing escaped inmates, but since escaped inmates are less common in modern times, the teams are now used to assisting local law enforcement.

They can track down dangerous fugitives and find missing children and vulnerable adults.

It took the K9 team about two hours to find the missing woman, who was found about 2 miles from where they began their search.