Following the scent: Bloodhound Unit helps HCSO locate missing persons

Jesse James makes routine patrols throughout Houston County. No, not that Jesse James. This one has big brown eyes, four paws and a super-sensitive nose. He’s a 19-month-old bloodhound that is a member of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. And he patrols the streets and roadways of Houston County with his human partner, Deputy David Asbill, a three-and-one-half-year veteran of the department.

Jesse came to the department in December 2008 as a replacement for Asbill’s former partner, Junior, who died after being struck by a vehicle. Jesse was bred and trained by the 832 K-9’s Deputy Dogs, a non-profit organization in Inverness, Fla., that was founded by the family of Kody Snodgrass. Snodgrass, a member of the Lake County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office, was killed in an off-duty motorcycle accident in October 2001. According the Web site, http://www.deputydog.org, his family elected to honor his memory by creating the Kody Snodgrass Foundation, which is the parent organization of Deputy Dogs. Snodgrass, 25 at the time of his death, wore Badge 832 in his short career in law enforcement. His family incorporated his badge number into the name of their program of breeding bloodhounds for use in law enforcement.

Houston County’s Bloodhound Unit was created shortly after Andy Hughes took office as sheriff. Asbill says a conversation with the new sheriff led to the unit’s creation.

“Sheriff Hughes and I started talking in April 2006 about adding a bloodhound unit,” said Asbill, who also raises bloodhounds. “He saw the upside of using bloodhounds in locating kids and Alzheimer patients. It has morphed into bigger things here.”

Scent kits, which are used primarily to locate Alzheimer patients, have been incorporated into the program. The kits are made once a family notifies the Houston County Sheriff’s Office that a loved has Alzheimer’s disease. Like Project Lifesaver, which utiltizes GPS tracking, the scent kit is another tool at the department’s disposal to locate a missing person.

“To make a scent kit, I use a 4”x4” sterile gauze pad to collect the scent of the patient,” Asbill said as he began to explain why scent kits are important tools in locating missing persons. “The pad is placed on the person for one to two hours to collect the scent. The pad is then sealed inside a Mason jar. I now have a totally sterile scent item.”

That scent item helps Jesse in tracking the missing person.

In addition to creating the scent kit, Asbill says he also develops a search plan.

“Once I have the scent kit, I will create a search plan of the neighborhood where an Alzheimer patient lives,” Asbill added.

Together, the scent kit and the search plan save valuable time for law enforcement. And time is a big enemy for a wandering Alzheimer patient. The quicker the individual is located the better.

“If we save one person’s life and give a family a few more days together, that would be most satisfying for me and Jesse,” Asbill said. “He loves it, and I love it. It’s important to give families peace of mind.”

The partners have a special bond, and they are practically inseparable.

“Jesse was 11 months old when we got him,” Asbill said. “He lives with me and my family. We ride patrol together. We train together. He’s my partner, my buddy. He’s man’s best friend.”

Before getting his law enforcement orders, Jesse was specially trained by Deputy Dogs for the role he plays daily. But, he wasn’t quite ready for the streets.

“The dogs trained by Deputy Dogs are put with families for up to six months to develop their socialization skills,” Asbill said.

“Jesse was specially trained for children and Alzheimer patients,” Asbill contined. “Because of that training, Jesse is approachable (unlike other K-9 unit dogs). He has made four finds this year.”

While Jesse’s primary function is to locate missing persons, he carries other duties as he patrols Houston County with his human partner.

“We respond to any of the major felonies in Dothan and Houston County as a back-up,” Asbill said. “One of the reasons Sheriff Hughes wants Jesse on patrol is for instant availability. Time equals distance. I don’t have to go get Jesse. He’s with me on patrol.”

Their response is primarily for pursuit.

“Jesse stays on a 25-foot lead during a chase,” Asbill said. “I run behind him. We work as a team. I also have cover officers with me, because I’m not looking for the suspect. I’m watching Jesse to see how he responds to the scent that he’s following.

“When you think about it, this is old-school - using bloodhounds.”

On their “off days,” the partners are training.

“We train a lot at Fort Rucker,” said Asbill, who has also received specialized training in the use of bloodounds from the FBI. “We usually spend four to five hours at a time running trails. During training, I introduce a lot of different distractions to see how Jesse responds.”

Just as tracking is part of Jesse’s nature as a bloodhound, Asbill says working with this special breed is second nature to him.

“My father was a hound guy - breeding them,” Asbill said. “I’ve been doing it a few years. One of my hidden agendas was to work in a K-9 unit.”

Asbill, however, didn’t start out in law enforcement. After graduating from Troy University, he worked in the restaurant business in Tuscaloosa. When he decided to move back to Dothan, Asbill says he found his calling.

“I saw an ad where the Sheriff’s Office was hiring,” Asbill said. “I had always wanted to serve the community. I didn’t want to move around like I did as a child while my father was in the military.”

David Asbill found his niche with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. And he has a partner that allows him to mix his love of community service with his affection for bloodhounds. Together, they work to make Houston County a safer place for all citizens.