INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FL — A bloodhound removed from a North Florida home where authorities said she did not have enough food or care has found a second career with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The dog, Penny, is now a certified search and rescue K-9 helping deputies track missing and endangered people.
All Hound Rescue of Florida took Penny in and later donated her to the sheriff’s office. Deputies paired her with Deputy Samuel Lewis after seeing that her scenting ability could make her a strong tracking dog. The team then trained together and passed certification, turning a neglected animal into a working canine with a public-safety role.
Penny and Deputy Samuel Lewis completed a four-week tracking program in February 2025
Penny and Lewis finished a four-week tracking program in February 2025 that was hosted by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. Trainers focused on teaching the pair how to follow a human scent trail and how to locate people who are missing or in danger. The work is specialized and requires a dog that can stay focused over distance and time.
After the course ended, Penny passed a certification test and was added to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue operation. Officials said the pairing gave the agency a dedicated bloodhound trained specifically for locating missing and endangered people, a capability that can be critical in time-sensitive searches.
Sheriff’s office says Penny can help find children, older adults and vulnerable residents
Penny’s assignments include searches for missing children, elderly residents and other vulnerable people who may not be able to safely return home on their own. Authorities also said she may be called to help find people with autism, Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions that could make it difficult for them to navigate back to safety.
The sheriff’s office said Penny and Lewis were called on to several missing-person searches soon after becoming certified. Those early deployments suggest the dog has already moved from training into active service. For the agency, the bloodhound adds a focused search tool in situations where every minute matters and a scent trail may be the best lead available.
Indian River County has one bloodhound devoted to missing-person searches
Officials said the sheriff’s office has only one bloodhound trained specifically to find missing and endangered people. Its other K-9s are assigned to patrol work, narcotics detection and explosives detection, so Penny fills a distinct role within the department’s canine team.
Authorities have not publicly identified Penny’s former owner and have not announced any arrest tied to the alleged mistreatment. No related criminal allegations have been proven in court. For now, though, Penny is serving the community that helped give her a new start, using the same nose that once marked her for neglect to help deputies bring people home safely.
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