Zoe The Police Dog Sniffs Out 2 Missing Girls In Ontario's Algonquin Park

July 17, 2019

A police dog named Zoe located two 16-year-old girls who had gone missing in Ontario's Algonquin Park.

dog finds missing girls in woods
Zoe / Credit: Jason Parks/The Picton Gazette

Maya Mirota and Marta Malek had been missing for 6 days. The teens had failed to meet up with their camping group in the provincial park's western sector.

About 90 minutes into the search, Zoe began to show signs that she had picked up a scent.

"She became excited and we watched her and then she proceeded to go down the trail," said Scott Gannon, an officer with the Ontario Provincial Police Canine Unit.

Gannon and the crew began calling the names of the girls, who responded by blowing a whistle.

Zoe led the search team to the girls who were in good physical condition, although a bit dehydrated and covered with insect bites.

"They were very excited and happy to see us, and we were the same way," Gannon told CBC News. "They both gave us hugs."

They were also very excited to meet Zoe, asking if they could pet their rescuer.