PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) -- Two of the Prince William County Police Department's (PWCPD) newest members are taking on a new role: tracking missing and endangered people. After nearly a year of training and passing their certifications as search dogs, canines Dory and Sadie are now PWCPD bloodhounds. PWCPD said it has experienced a sharp rise in calls to find missing and/or endangered people. To handle those cases, department officials relied on specialty dogs from outside law enforcement agencies. Jefferson High School students take class on crime solving, leading to careers in forensic science The arrangement worked if those dogs and their handlers were not busy with calls in their own jurisdictions, but - due to the volume of calls for service - it was time for the department to move in a different direction. PWCPD purchased the bloodhounds from a reputable breeder in Georgia, who is used by other law enforcement agencies with bloodhound programs. Sadie and Dory arrived in April 2024 and were immediately acclimated to their new jobs by coming to work every day, being introduced to traffic noise, large numbers of people and other conditions they would face in their day-to-day duties. Courtesy of the Prince William County Police Department Courtesy of the Prince William County Police Department Photos of Sadie (left) and Dory (right) when they first joined the department. The two canines began their formal training in May 2024 and successfully completed the certification process in March 2025. The bloodhounds were paired with experienced K-9 handlers, decreasing the amount of training time for their human partners and meaning the officers do not have to be reassigned from patrol duties. Authorities said the bloodhounds work an entire shift with their handlers, riding in vehicles with dual kennels - one for the patrol canine and one for the tracking canine. "If you happen to encounter Dory or Sadie, it will be hard to resist the urge to say hello to them. But their K-9 handlers remind everyone that they are working animals so please ignore their cuteness so they can focus on their important work serving the County’s residents," the department noted. ...read more read less