Valor the 4th bloodhound donated by Senior Resource Alliance
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office welcomed a new deputy to the force Tuesday.
Meet Valor the bloodhound, the newest member of the K9 team who will assist in finding missing persons, particularly those with dementia and developmental disabilities like autism.
Valor is Sheriff’s Deputy Luis Paredes-Labrador new partner.
“It’s my first bloodhound, and I’m excited to partner with him to help find those who go missing,” he said.
The Senior Resource Alliance donated Valor to the force. Part of that was his year-long training with Scent Evidence K9, which trains animals to help communities and law enforcement agencies improve their methods of locating missing persons.
“We are blessed for the partnership with the Senior Resource Alliance for supporting our department, again,” Osceola Sheriff Chris Blackmon said Tuesday, noted he’s the third dog the Alliance has donated. “In definition, valor means courage. I joked with Deputy (Paredes) that the dog’s trained, now we have to train him with the dog. This is a great addition to our staff.”
Senior Resource Alliance also provided the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office with scent-kits to distribute to residents. The free kits store a missing person’s item, such as clothing, which keeps their unique scent for up to a decade to speed up searches once someone with a cognitive disability goes missing.
“The first 60 minutes (after a missing person report) is really crucial in the recovery of someone who’s disappeared,” Blackmon said. “A scent-evidence canine can help, if we can get them on the scent within minutes. We can be proactive to track the person.”
The donation is part of the Bringing the Lost Home project, which Senior Resource Alliance launched in partnership with Scent Evidence K9 and the U.S. Department of Justice in 2021. The nonprofit has donated 11 bloodhounds to local law enforcement agencies, and Blackmon said its three scent dogs already on the force have recovered over 100 people.
“It has been so crucial in the Central Florida community to save lives and find missing persons unharmed. We have 11 dogs that have been donated to police departments, so today’s a day to celebrate that partnership,” Senior Resource Alliance President and CEO Karla Radka said. “Valor will protect the senior residents of Osceola County.”
“When someone vanishes, the impacts are far reaching: the person’s safety is at risk, and loved ones are pushed into a frightening and overwhelming wait for answers,” said Karla Radka, Senior Resource Alliance President and CEO. “Cutting down on wait times provides important relief for Central Floridians navigating the unthinkable, and we’re honored to work with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to continue growing this program across our region.”
