May 20, 2013
Big Bend DART Release
January 26, 2013
Tallahassee, FL - A lost horse which bolted from its owner on Thursday just minutes before a trail ride was about to start was found today at approximately 1:30pm by Pete, a sharp-nosed Search and Rescue dog. The horse, Poppy, bolted away from the trail head of the St. Marks Trail, crossed Tram Road and headed south.
The owner of the horse, Kimberly Quinlan, called on trail riding friends, law enforcement, members of the Southern Trail Riders club, the Southeast K9 Search and Rescue club, and members of the Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team to help search the area south of the trail head.
The horse had been lost for 2 days before Pat Simmons, with Southeast K9 Search and Rescue, was able to bring Pete out to track the horse. Volunteer searchers had covered much of the area southwards about a mile in from Tram Road between Rose and the Jefferson County line by Friday evening.
On Saturday morning when the search was taken up again, Quinlan brought the horse’s brush to allow Pete to get the scent. Pete successfully tracked the scent and located the horse about two miles southeast of the trailhead. Poppy was still saddled and quite thirsty but otherwise in good shape.
Pete, a hound, is trained as a Search & Rescue dog but specializes in finding lost pets. This was his first attempt at tracking a horse. Good Dog, Pete!
