Powerhouse K-9s, and a Tearful Reunion, Are Your Weekend Palate Cleansers – RedState
One of the ways I decompress is by scrolling through Instagram. This is where all my dog rescue feeds are, as well as great dog videos, like the ones you’ll find below. Badass K-9s is the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
This first video may not seem very Feel-Good, but it sure is. Not only does this show the incredible skill and training of a K-9, but it also shows the capabilities of law enforcement and the split-second decisions they must make to ensure maximum impact in apprehending criminals, with minimum harm to civilians.
This happened near downtown San Diego during a convention and Padres game. It was therefore necessary to take into account the crowds of people. But the San Diego Police Department arrested a suspected criminal using only a K-9 unit and minimally legal ammunition (because this is California).
The pursued attacker had stabbed someone and was on the run. In the video, he appeared to resist police. He probably still had his knife, as well as a large stick which he brandished in a threatening manner. Despite orders to drop the weapon and stand down, the man refused, so SDPD deployed their K-9, which cleverly took down the assailant.
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The person who manages the Instagram account left a warning (Content Warning: This footage may be difficult to watch), then.wrote:
Sharing video of SDPD taking suspect into custody following stabbing. Officers used less-lethal rounds and a K9 unit, with a clear effort to resolve the situation while minimizing further damage.
This took place in one of the busiest areas of our city, during a Padres game and a large convention. Moments like this highlight the importance of a consistent and visible SDPD presence. Safety is important for residents, visitors and people in crisis.
Congratulations to our LEOs, bipeds and quadrupeds.
This next video is another K-9 adventure tale. Good Boy Rex, a black Labrador K-9 officer, found a missing 7-year-old from Colorado in just a few minutes. Even more incredible, it was Rex’s very first rescue after training!
An Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office K-9 named Rex found a missing 7-year-old girl in just 12 minutes, using her shoes to track her scent.
The girl had run away from her family during an outing to the park and had been missing for about two hours when Deputy John Gray and Rex, a 5-year-old black lab, received the call.
“It was really critical that he not only take us to the area where she went, but also tell us where she didn’t go. That way we knew she was kind of confined to that area,” Gray said. “Being able to deploy it and see it pay off and bring a girl home safely — there aren’t even really words you can use to describe it.”
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) had recently established the K-9 Tracking Unit with three K-9s: Rex, Bear and Riley. These K-9 officers were trained specifically in search and rescue tactics for 16 months.
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K9 heroes in action!
K9 Rex, one of our ACSO dogs trained to find missing children, helped find a 7-year-old girl after she was separated from her mother for nearly two hours. Rex found her in just 12 minutes!
Deputies went to a park in the 6400 block of S. Telluride Street on April 2 after the girl ran away because she didn’t want to leave. Deputies, K9 units and drones immediately began searching the area.
Deputy Gray and K9 Rex got to work using the girl’s shoes to track her scent. Rex quickly picked up the trail and led officers to a nearby yard where she was found.
The frightened girl tried to run again, but Deputy Halliburton caught her safely. She was unhurt and reunited with her family.
This was the first time Rex had successfully located a missing child since he completed his tracking training last year.
Great job by everyone involved, and well done, Rex! 👏
#K9Hero #GoodBoy #teamwork
👉 Follow K9 Rex on Instagram! @arapahoe_rex_sro
Like Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken,” Rex has a particular set of skills that make him good at his job. According to his handler, Deputy John Gray, Rex started out as a therapy dog and served with Gray in his role as a school resource officer for Littleton Public Schools. Rex is also trained to detect explosives (as are Riley and Bear).
All these skills came in handy when Rex found the girl on April 2.
After finding her in a nearby yard, Rex immediately went from monitoring mode to therapy mode.
“Not only can they sense our hormonal changes, but they can also reduce our cortisol levels,” Gray said. “Being able to provide some comfort to a child in a pretty traumatic situation, I think that was really important.”
What a great asset Rex is to this unit. Of course, I now follow him on Insta!
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The latter is a bit tearful. Hats off to our deputy editor and fellow dog lover, Susie Moore, for finding it.
In 2014, a man named Bryce was preparing to move from New Mexico to Texas, and his dog Sierra, a gentle Husky mix, was staying at a friend’s house. Unfortunately, she escaped from her friend’s garden and, despite his attempts to search, Bryce was never able to locate her.
Fast forward to April 8, 2026, in Brooksville, Florida, of all places.
A 13-year-old Siberian husky arrived at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services on April 8, 2026 as a stray. She was a mess; she was malnourished, missing parts of her beautiful coat, and moved very slowly because time and hardship had taken their toll.
There was one thing the dog had that so many lost dogs lacked; this husky had a microchip and with it the information contained a phone number. Bryce answered the phone and the Texas resident was virtually speechless. Her dog named Sierra had been missing for 12 years!
Bryce told shelter staff that the last time he saw Sierra was in New Mexico. Sierra, a 40 pound spayed Husky, now 13 years old….[was in 2014].
After seeing the photos from the dog shelter, Bryce was heartbroken by her condition and, according to shelter staff, he had become overwhelmed at the thought of being able to see and be with her again.
What a happy blessing that Bryce never changed his number. But now there was the added obstacle of transporting the Sierra 1,400 miles from Florida to Midland, Texas. That’s where Many Paws Volunteer Pet Transport came in. Many Paws is seriously run by volunteers who help transport animals in need to families and rescues across the United States. From transferring a pet from a high-kill shelter to an available rescue organization in another state, to delivering a service member’s pet to the family’s home while the service member is deployed, to helping a lost pet find its long-lost owner, it’s a beautiful service that produces lots of Happy Trails and Happy Tails.
While Sierra’s transportation to Texas was arranged, the Husky received medical treatment – regular medicated baths for her skin problem – and she enjoyed daily walks and enriching play. And of course, lots of hugs, doodles and love from the staff and volunteers.
Eight days later, Sierra was on her way to Texas, and it was quite an adventure.
I love his t-shirt. I’ll have to get one for myself.
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Sierra is definitely a survivor, and that’s badass in itself. While it’s sad that Bryce and Sierra had to be apart for so long, the beautiful thing is that they are now reunited, and his remaining years will no doubt be filled with love and care.
Editor’s note: At RedState, it’s not just about politics and policy. We love calling attention to what’s good in the world, with features like “Feel-Good Friday,” “Start Your Weekend Right” and “Hoge’s Heroes.”
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