Officer and K9 companion help track down missing man with dementia in Gloucester County

SEWELL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- When an elderly man with dementia wandered away from home in Gloucester County and minutes mattered most, a hardworking duo was able to save the day.

On this edition of Heroes on the Frontline, Action News met up with the Gloucester County Sheriff's Department's K9 team, which officials say has a 100% search-and-rescue record.

"When I got on location we did a home check, grabbed a scent article," recalled K9 Officer Thomas Accoglio.

Accoglio and his furry partner Shiloh started with a scent from a pillowcase to begin their mission.

"She put her nose on the scent article and from there we were on the move," Accoglio explained.

Shiloh tracked the scent for over a mile, looking for the missing 92-year-old.

"When we got the phone call, he'd been missing for two hours, by the time we started to track it was another hour, and then another hour and a half on top of that," said Accoglio.

Accoglio said he knew they had a lot of ground to make up.

Shiloh continued to track the scent to a park at Mercer and Trenton avenues in Sewell, New Jersey.

With a lot of ground covered in the warm weather, Accoglio says at that point, Shiloh needed to be relieved by another bloodhound.

But as backup arrived, the missing man was located just 100 yards away, near a senior center.

The reunion was made possible thanks to Shiloh's skills, which she learned as part of her job.

"As for the K9s, I probably have some of the best K9s in the county," said Gloucester County Sheriff Jonathan Sammons.

Action News asked Sammons whether the department has ever been unable to track someone down.

"Since I've been sheriff, we've been able to find someone," he answered.

Shiloh, along with another bloodhound and a handful of narcotics and bomb-sniffing dogs, make up the department's K9 team.

Each officer is trained to work with the animals.

The missing man's family didn't want to go on camera but said they were grateful their father was tracked down promptly.

For Shiloh and her partner, it's just another day on the job.

"Every day these dogs do something that amazes me, like just doing a track, or doing training for an explosive sweep. The dogs are phenomenal and good at what they do," said Accoglio.