K9, Handler Hunt Down Missing Boy Found Next To Busy Prince George's Highway

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A Prince George's County K-9 bloodhound and his handler are being credited with helping find a missing child who had wandered from home. The little boy was found after dark mere feet from a busy highway.

Prince George's County Police Cpl. Jason Carter and his 3-year-old bloodhound, Bo, joined patrol officers, Missing Persons Unit detectives and other members of the department's K-9 section to search for the boy Tuesday.

The child had been missing for several hours, according to police. Search teams covered miles around the child's neighborhood, checking behind homes and pushing through heavily wooded areas as daylight faded.

Prince George's County Police Chief George Nader said during a news conference that the call for the missing child came in around 5:04 p.m. Within 11 minutes, officers were on the scene and realized it was a critical missing child situation, as the child had an "invisible disability," Nader said.

A team of nearly two dozen officers and canines searched in shifts to keep the dogs fresh. Within three hours, the little boy was found.

"When they located the child, you could see the reaction of the officers, how excited they were, how much it meant to them, how dedicated they were to locating this child and how much it meant to the detectives who do this day in and day out," Nader said.

Body-camera footage released by police that was shown during the news conference shows Carter encouraging Bo as the bloodhound followed the child's scent. The child was discovered in a wooded area near Maryland Route 210, just feet from the busy roadway, according to police.

"I got him," Carter can be heard yelling in the body-camera video after locating the boy. The video was shared at a news conference held by the police department.

Carter said during the news conference that he felt a rush of emotions when the little boy was found, from euphoria upon the discovery to relief that the child appeared unharmed.

"That's why we sign up for this - we're here to help people," Carter said.

As far as Bo, Carter said she's second to none.

"She is literally my best friend. And she is just one of those things where I can load her up in my truck and know that whoever calls and asks me for our help, I know that I have, you know, a great, fantastic dog and it just shows that she is up for the task of going beyond the distance," Carter said.

The pair have been together for more than year. Carter said that it's his job to read Bo, to see what signs she's giving him and react to those. Her body language, the strength in her pulls and the way she changes direction indicates if they're getting closer to who or what they're looking for.

As Carter and Bo approached the little boy, Carter said her exhaustion level was at its peak, as they'd been hiking for close to three miles. He tail wasn't wagging and she was drooling with exhaustion.

"But I knew she wanted to keep going. It's our responsibility to advocate for these dogs and make sure she's healthy enough to do the job," Carter said. "It was dark and I saw him out of the corner of my eye, a glimpse and the little murmur of a sound."

Nader said during the news conference that missing person cases are far more common than many residents may realize. In fact, so far in 2026, the police department has handled just under 1,000 missing person cases. Around 95 percent of those reported missing are found.

During the news conference, Bo the bloodhound was described as the star of the show. Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy said during the news conference that the incident "could have turned out very differently for the family."

"But for the dedication, the technology and, of course, our canine instincts, we are able to create these happy endings and I want to thank each and every one of you who were called upon to act in that moment. I want to thank especially Bodacious a.k.a. Bo for her incredible work and tracking down the scent and finding this young individual, and her handler Cpl. Carter, who will tell you it's a team effort," Braveboy said.