National Guard K-9 Aids Search and Rescue Efforts in Eastern Kentucky
The Kentucky National Guard had the assistance of a very good girl in the immediate aftermath of the deadly floods that devastated eastern Kentucky last month.
K-9 Callie spent 36 hours in late July helping search the flooded areas via ground, boat, and helicopter.
"Along with her handler, Kentucky Air National Guard Master Sgt. Rudy Parsons, and the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, Callie assisted in the rescue of 15 Kentuckians and two dogs," Kentucky National Guard captioned a Facebook photo on July 29.
Kentucky National Guard
The Dutch Shepherd, based out of the Kentucky National Guard 123rd Airlift Wing, is the Department of Defense's only search and rescue dog.
"Though Callie is primarily trained in locating live missing people, today she assisted in the difficult task of locating and recovering four deceased children," the post concluded. "Get some rest, Callie. Kentucky needs you."
Torrential rains pummeled eastern Kentucky in late July, resulting in catastrophic flooding in Hazard, Jackson, Garrett, Salyersville, Booneville, Whitesburg, and Perry County. Bridges and roadways crumbled, rendering entire communities unreachable. At least 37 deaths have been reported and hundreds remain unaccounted for.
Celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Chris Stapleton are contributing to the recovery effort, but there's still a long way to go in many hard-hit communities.
"[Impacted families] need basic necessities," Garner told Today over the weekend. "They need water, they need somewhere to live, they need schools to be up and running. These kids need to go to school."
