We're honored to introduce our newest Good Dog Gold Medal winner, K-9 Bandit.
K-9 Bandit and his handler, Deputy Frank Bleigh had only been working together for a short time when they received a call from a family living every parent's nightmare — their child had gone missing.
Even though Deputy Bleigh and K-9 Bandit had only been working with each other for under a year, their training had been intense and they were ready for the call.
Deputy Bleigh's extensive K-9 training expertise had been honed during the last 7 years as he worked with his former K-9 partner, Colt. This experience matched with Bandit's strong work ethic makes the two a formidable team.
As they arrived on the scene, they learned the 3-year-old had been missing for 45 minutes. K-9 Bandit immediately began navigating the expansive property behind the family's home and found the child near a creek in a mere 10 minutes.
Bandit is a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois German Shepherd mix. As a K-9 Officer, he's what's known as a dual-purpose dog, meaning he is skilled in both apprehension and location. His location skills are evidenced by how quickly he was able to find this missing child. But, when we talked with Sheriff Jim Frye, we also learned that Bandit hits harder than any dog and can knock a 6-foot tall man right off his feet.
Thanks to K-9 Bandit, Deputy Bleigh and everyone at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office for the amazing work you do in your community.
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