Stanly County Sheriff’s Office locates missing K9 officer

Published 10:15 am Monday, September 20, 2021

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A K9 officer that had gone missing Friday night following a chase in the western part of the county was found unharmed Saturday morning.

During a vehicle chase that turned into a foot chase Friday night near Cherokee Road, the Stanly County Sheriff Office’s K9 Luka was deployed to pursue the suspect.

Though the suspect was apprehended near Cherokee Road, Luka did not return to his handler, Deputy Francisco Porras.

Luka, a German Shepherd, has been part of the department for around two years, said Sheriff Jeff Crisco.

The department posted on Facebook that there were several electric fences in the area that may have injured Luka and caused him to run away. The department posted a number people could call if they happened to find Luka.

While it is rare for a K9 to disappear, it does occasionally happen, Crisco said.

Deputies began actively searching for the dog after he disappeared and Luka was discovered unharmed by Porras early Saturday morning, Crisco said.

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.

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