LAKE CITY, Fla. — After more than 24 hours after going missing, a North Florida sheriff's office K-9 was found safe, according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
K-9 Chaos went missing around 8 a.m. Monday as he and deputies were searching for a wanted 29-year-old man who had led authorities on a chase.
The man ended up trying to elude authorities by going into the woods in a remote area in Lake City between Tyre Road, not far from the Columbia Correction Institution and the area of U.S. 90 and S.R. 100.
Just after 9 a.m. Monday, deputies identified the man and said he wasn't known to be a violent offender but still urged people in the area to not approach him and instead call authorities.
K-9 Chaos went off leash during the search and ended up going missing, the sheriff's office said.
A couple of hours later Monday, the sheriff's office shared the 29-year-old man K-9 Chaos was chasing was in custody. Chaos, however, was still missing.
The sheriff's office said efforts for finding Chaos included "searching the area with UTV’s, aerial support using helicopters and drones equipped with infrared technology, and bloodhounds from Department of Corrections."
Then, just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, the sheriff's office shared the German Shepherd had been found. Deputies said a citizen saw him on SE Pounds Hammock Road and alerted them to where he was so they could get him.
"A HUGE THANK YOU to the citizen who spotted him and called us!! Also, we would like to thank everyone who helped look for him and shared this information. We are glad to have Chaos back home!" the sheriff's office said.