Many police K9s are eager to complete their training so that they can get to work. Trained to perform tasks for rewards, many police K9s see their job almost as a game. Regardless of why they do it, K9s are a valued part of any police force that they are a part of.

One police K9 on the Dyfed-Powys Police force proved his value on his first day on the job.

A big first day

Assigned to PC Peter Lloyd, K9 Max, a German shepherd mix, had just completed his training and was on his first day on the job. The pair received a call for a search and rescue mission for a mom and child who had become lost. The search had gone on for two days and authorities were losing hope.

Lost in a remote location

The location where the woman’s car was found was in a remote area filled with mountainous terrain.

The search was challenging, especially for a K9 on his first day on the job.

“The woman had not been seen or spoken to for two days, which was out of character, and her phone wasn’t working, so naturally concern for her safety was high,” Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones said in a statement. “This is where PD Max’s tracking skills really came into play. Despite only recently becoming licensed, and on his first operational shift, he immediately commenced an open area search.”

K9 Max was up to the task.

And while other agencies were helping in the search, most notably the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, it was Max who ended up saving the day.

Working quickly, Max only spent 90minutes tracking the mother and child down.

Max led Lloyd to a ravine where they spotted the mother waiving for help. Lloyd had this to say about Max’s efforts:

“I was really pleased that during our first operational deployment as a dog team, myself and Max were able to safely locate the missing mother and baby. Max remained focused throughout the long search and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help which resulted in us locating them.”

Trained for just such an instance.

This was just one of the tasks Max had been trained for and he performed admirably. Max has the uncanny ability, like many dogs, to react to voices and noises. So, when the mother called out, he was able to quickly locate their location.

The mother and her baby were okay.

Cold and tired, the mother and her baby were otherwise unharmed. It just goes to show how good Max was at his job, and it was only his first day.

The Daily Mirror Animal Hero Awards

For his efforts, Max was awarded in the Hero category at the Daily Mirror Animal Hero Awards in 2020. Without his valiant efforts, the mother and child might not have been found until it was too late.

For more on K9 Max and his heroic actions, watch the following video.

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Sources: YouTube – Animal Hero Awards, The Animal Rescue Site