NEWS

MHP asks for public's help in locating missing K9, 'Smoke'

Therese Apel
Clarion Ledger
Smoke, a 9-year-old black lab and K9 officer for MHP, is missing.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is asking for the public's help in locating a missing K9 officer.

"Smoke," a 9-year-old black lab, went missing Sunday morning around 9:45 a.m., according to a release from MHP spokesman trooper Ray Hall.

Master Sgt. Elmo Townsend said Smoke got out while his handler was washing out his kennel. He was wearing an orange collar when he disappeared.

Smoke lives with his handler on County Road 530, in the Old Union Community, in Lee County.

"His handler is devastated," Townsend said. "He hasn't stopped looking for him since he went missing Sunday morning."

MHP spokesman Warren Strain said officials hope to locate Smoke quickly for several reasons.

"Of course he's part of the family," he said. "But you also think about how much time and effort and other resources have been put into the training of each one of these K9s. They're an integral part of what we have going on."

Townsend said Smoke makes friends easily.

"He's a super-nice dog, and he'll take up with whoever will show him some attention," Townsend said. "He's a friendly dog."

Townsend said troopers and deputies are searching the area on foot, and that MHP has started a social media campaign to help locate Smoke.

"He's not just a dog, he's a trooper too, he's part of the family," Townsend said. "And he likes to swim, so we were hoping he went for a swim, but so far we haven't found him at any of the lakes."

Smoke is the only bomb dog MHP has assigned to the northern half of the state, officials said.

"He's certainly an asset we're hopeful we can recover as soon as possible," Strain said.

Townsend said if anyone knows where Smoke is, they should contact Highway Patrol ASAP.

"If you see him or if he comes up to your house, contact Troop F dispatch and we'll send someone there as quickly as we can to pick him up," he said.

Please call The Mississippi Highway Patrol, Troop F, at (662) 534-8650, if you have any information on Smoke's whereabouts.

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com. Follow @TRex21 on Twitter.

Smoke, center, with former handler Jacob Lott.