San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Detective Celebrates One Year of Police Service

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s first search and rescue bloodhound has been on duty for almost a year.

“He’s very loving, very gentle,” handler Pam Medhurst said.

Albert is a three-year-old bloodhound.

“You see this big dog coming towards you, and then he just stops and kisses you,” Medhurst said.

He’s more than just a cute pet; He is a trained officer and the first and only bloodhound to join the San Diego Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team in its history.

“The fact that he’s a bloodhound creates a myth: ‘Oh, the bloodhound is here.’ It just gives the family a feeling that maybe it’s all done,” Medhurst said.

Pam Medhurst is the search and rescue team’s canine unit leader.

“We thrive in urban environments. So we’ve had several cases of family members leaving their home with Alzheimer’s disease,” says Medhurst.

Medhurst has been volunteering for 26 years.

“It’s really nice to see all these people from all over the place and advocate for one person, one family’s needs, and we won’t stop until a decision is made,” Medhurst said.

Albert was sworn in almost a year ago. Since then, he has traveled hundreds of miles trying to reunite families with missing loved ones. He is one of 18 dogs in the unit. We first met him when he was a three-month-old puppy.

Albert is named after Sgt. Don Parker died in 2018. He spent the last years of his life as a search and rescue unit coordinator. The sergeant’s middle name was Albert.

“It’s not just about dogs. It’s about all these different volunteers and what they do, what they bring,” Medhurst said.

For Medhurst, volunteering is a family affair.

“I’ve volunteered for over 17,000 hours and have about 94,000 miles,” said her husband, Richard Medhurst.

Her husband is often with her.

“It’s an addiction. There’s nothing better in the world than bringing someone back into the family,” Medhurst said.

Albert has completed four search and rescue missions, but his owners are looking forward to many more.

“I think we’re like dogs. We’ll do this until it’s no longer fun,” Medhurst said.

Looks like no one is turning in their badge anytime soon.

More information about volunteering can be found here.