Hero hound: Tennessee police dog rescues kidnapped girl from her nightmare
Pea Ridge, Tennessee - This dog provided a happy ending in the case of little Kinzleigh Reeder!
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, six-year-old Kinzleigh had been missing since May 26.
Just before she disappeared, her father, Nicholas Reeder (34), had lost custody of his daughter after driving his car off the road with her inside and then deciding to camp under a bridge while the nearby creek rose higher. Kinzleigh was staying with a family member at the time and was later placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Nicholas Reeder quickly became a suspect after she disappeared, and efforts were made to track him down. On Monday, about a month after the six-year-old was last seen, the scare finally came to an end and it was all thanks to a bloodhound called Fred.
Police officers had previously used thermal imaging and drones to narrow down the girl's whereabouts.
Sure enough, the four-legged sleuth was able to track down the missing child after authorities put "an item that belonged to the father" under Fred's nose.
"They drove to the house and released Fred, who followed a footpath from the house to a burn pile, a truck and an outbuilding," the statement said.
"He sniffed the door and doorknob and then sat down."
Fred gets rewarded with plenty of pizza crust and chicken
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, both the child and the father were in the building, which was "barricaded and had windows covered with metal."
"There was no ventilation and air conditioning inside the small outbuilding. There was barely any food or water for the child. The outbuilding had a strong ammonia smell where the two had been urinating and defecating in a five gallon bucket."
K9 Deputy Richard Tidwell, Fred's handler, said that when Fred found Kinzleigh, "He licked her face and she gave him a big hug."
Nicholas Reeder was arrested for child abuse and neglect, while Kinzleigh is currently back in the custody of Child Protective Services.
In a Rutherford County Sheriff's Office Facebook post, Tidwell also took time to gush about Fred, his faithful companion who helped save Kinzleigh.
"I praised him and loved him" – with plenty of well-deserved pizza crust and chicken, apparently!
Cover photo: Rutherford County Sheriff's Office