The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce that Sgt. Ronald “Boonie” Mitchell and his partner K-9 Gunny have been named as the winner of the 2011-2012 Florida Missing Children’s Day Jimmy Ryce K-9 Trailing Team of the Year.
The award is sponsored by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse and recognizes “exceptional or extraordinary efforts in a missing child investigation.”
Sgt. Mitchell and Gunny will be honored at the State Capitol in Tallahassee on Monday, Sept. 10 during a formal ceremony. A breakfast will be held prior to the ceremony in the Capitol Plaza.
 Wakulla County Sheriff Donnie Crum said he is pleased with the outstanding work of the WCSO K-9 Unit. “I think it is great that one of our officers has been recognized for the outstanding work that he does,” said Sheriff Crum. “Too often the work of law enforcement goes unnoticed.”
On Oct. 4, 2011, Sgt. Mitchell was dispatched to Obediah Triplett Road and Wakulla Beach Road in Crawfordville to locate a missing four year old boy. Barefoot tracks were observed on Wakulla Beach Road and K-9 Gunny was fitted for his tracking lead. Gunny made several loops in the dirt road as he began his tracking activities.
Working against the clock as the sun was beginning to go down; Gunny began to track in a wooded area with no tracks or visible signs of the child traveling in the direction. Gunny made several loops in the woods and began to move at a faster pace with his head down.
After jogging through the wooded area for several minutes, Sgt. Mitchell observed a child running in the woods in the distance. Unable to get the child to stop at first, Sgt. Mitchell put Gunny in the “down stay” position and asked the child if he wanted to pet the dog. The child stopped and walked back toward Sgt. Mitchell where the child returned to pet Gunny on the face and head.
Sgt. Mitchell put the child on his back as Gunny retraced the route back out of the woods. The child was returned to his mother unharmed. The total track by Gunny was approximately one mile through thick briars and thorny plants and lasted approximately one hour.
“I’m stunned,” said Sgt. Mitchell when he found out about the award. “The award is for the entire state? I don’t really know what to say, but that’s great.”
Sgt. Mitchell and Gunny share a unique bond because Gunny was injured in the line of duty in December 2010 and Mitchell, with the assistance of Crawfordville veterinarian Dr. Norm Griggs, nursed Gunny back to health after multiple surgeries and got the dog back to where he could work again.
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