NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A trained search and rescue K9 was stolen from her owner’s vehicle in North Myrtle Beach Tuesday night, according to a police report.
Carl Hall posted to his personal Facebook page that his certified search and rescue K9, Hope, along with other search gear, was stolen. Hall says there is a reward of $4,500 for Hope’s return.
North Myrtle Beach police were called to Watertower Road around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday evening after a Hall reported his car had been broken into and his certified K9 stolen. The dog owner told officers that he drove to a wooded area off Watertower Road to conduct training with his K9, Hope.
Hope is a black and tan German Shepherd trained in search and rescue, the report states.
Hope’s handler told police after their training session, he placed Hope in his 2005 Toyota 4 Runner and returned to the training area to collect her props. When he returned to his SUV, a passenger side door was open and Hope was gone.
The handler told police that a black 511 bag that contained a K9 GPS tracker, K9 vest, leads and a black Gerber knife was also stolen. A second bag – a green camo bag with a Gerber knife, first aid kit, and dog bowl – was also stolen.
The report says the value of the supplies stolen is roughly $420 and Hope’s monetary value is $10,000.
Police were unable to locate a suspect or the K9 in a search of the area. Anyone with information about Hope is asked to call the North Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843.280.5511 or reach out to Carl Hall through the shared Facebook post.
