Scout is a black Labrador-Bloodhound mix based in Minneapolis who takes her new job — and her new uniform — very seriously. She is about to be the state’s first dog-scenting dog, trained to find lost pets and bring them home. Donning a vest with a patch that reads “Come Back Home, Puppies,” Scout represents an all-volunteer group called The Retrievers, who, uh, do exactly that.
“People call us when their dog goes missing, and we throw out the forces, so to speak,” Scout’s trainer, Miki Carlson, told MPR News. “Last year, we had about 960 cases of lost dogs. This year, we’re on track for about 1,000. We basically get the case and then just take it ’til the end, ’til we find their dog.”
And Scout is training…
