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Hound Led Deputies To Westchase Dad, Child Lost In Woods

News Channel 8 photo by DAVID KRAUT

Abby, a bloodhound, helped search a wooded area near Pinellas County with deputies and a sheriff's helicopter.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2008

Updated: 12/15/2008 04:50 pm

TAMPA - Abby was just doing her job Sunday night, but the 20-month-old bloodhound was rewarded anyway for finding a Westchase father and his young daughter who got lost in the woods.

Abby, one of four Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office bloodhounds, got a pat on head and a vanilla MoonPie for her work, said Sgt. Ron Cain, a dog handler.

Abby tracked Richard W. Albert, 39, and his 7-year-old daughter, Jennifer Rose Albert, for about an hour. She led deputies close to where they were found and a deputy spotted the pair about 11:30 p.m. hunkered down amid cypress trees.

It would have taken longer to find them without Abby, Cain said.

Albert and his daughter left their home at 12660 Silver Dale St. about 5:30 p.m. Sunday and were reported missing by Albert's wife about 7 p.m., the sheriff's office said.

The father and daughter went to tour terrain near Pinellas County and Race Track Road. They became disoriented while hiking in a wooded area, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

The area is dense, Cain said.

Albert and his daughter were thankful to be found, Cain said.

A woman who answered the telephone at the Albert home this morning said her husband did not want to talk about the incident.

"Obviously," she said, "everybody's fine."

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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