One of the ways I decompress is to trawl Instagram. That’s where all my dog rescue feeds are, as well as great dog videos, like the ones you will find featured below. Badass K-9s is the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
This first video may not seem very Feel-Good, but it really is. Not only does it show the incredible skill and training of a K-9, but it also shows the capabilities of law enforcement and the split-second decisions they have to make to ensure they have maximum impact in apprehending criminals, with minimal damage to civilians.
This occurred near downtown San Diego during a convention and a Padres game. So, crowds of people had to be considered. But the San Diego Police Department took down an alleged criminal using only a K-9 unit, and minimally-legal ammunition (because, it’s California).
The perpetrator being pursued had stabbed someone, and was on the run. In the video, he appeared to be resisting police. He no doubt still had his knife, along with a large stick that he was wielding in a threatening manner. Despite commands to drop the weapon and stand down, the man refused, so SDPD deployed their K-9, who artfully took the perpetrator down.
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The person running the Instagram account left a caution (Content warning: this footage may be difficult to watch), then.wrote:
Sharing video of SDPD taking a suspect into custody following a reported stabbing. Officers used less-lethal rounds and a K9 unit, with clear effort to resolve the situation while minimizing further harm.
This unfolded in one of the most heavily trafficked areas of our city, during a Padres game and a major convention. Moments like this highlight the importance of a consistent, visible SDPD presence. Safety matters for residents, visitors, and those in crisis alike.
Bravo to our LEOs, two-legged and four-legged.
This next video is another K-9 adventure tale. Good Boy Rex, a black Labrador K-9 officer, tracked down a missing 7-year-old Colorado child in just a matter of minutes. Even more incredible, it was Rex’s very first rescue out of training!
An Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office K-9 named Rex found a missing 7-year-old girl in just 12 minutes, using her shoes to track her scent.
The girl had run off from her family during a trip to the park and had been missing for about two hours when Deputy John Gray and Rex, a 5-year-old black lab, got the call.
“It was really essential that he not only took us to the area where she went, but he communicated to us where she didn’t go. So that way we knew she was kind of contained in that area,” Gray said. “Being able to deploy him and see it pay off and get a girl safely home — there’s not even really words you can use to describe it.”
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) had recently created the K-9 tracking unit with three K-9s: Rex, Bear, and Riley. These K-9 officers trained specifically in search and rescue tactics for 16 months.
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K9 Hero in Action!
K9 Rex, one of our ACSO dogs trained to find missing children, helped locate a 7-year-old girl after she was separated from her mother for nearly two hours. Rex found her in just 12 minutes!
Deputies responded to a park in the 6400 block of S. Telluride St. on April 2 after the young girl ran off because she didn’t want to leave. Deputies, K9 units, and drones immediately began searching the area.
Deputy Gray and K9 Rex got to work using the girl’s shoes to track her scent. Rex quickly picked up the trail and led deputies to a nearby backyard where she was found.
The scared girl tried to run again, but Deputy Halliburton safely caught up with her. She was unharmed and reunited with her family.
This was Rex’s first time successfully locating a missing child since completing his tracking training last year.
Great work by everyone involved, and way to go, Rex! 👏
#K9Hero #GoodBoy #teamwork
👉 Follow K9 Rex on Instagram! @arapahoe_rex_sro
Like Liam Neeson’s character in “Taken,” Rex has a particular set of skills that make him good at his job. According to his handler, Deputy John Gray, Rex started as a therapy dog and served with Gray in his role as a School Resource Officer for Littleton Public Schools. Rex is also trained to detect explosives (as are Riley and Bear).
All of these skills proved useful when Rex found the girl on April 2.
After finding her in a nearby yard, Rex immediately switched from tracking mode to therapy mode.
“They can not only smell our hormonal changes, but they can also lower our cortisol levels,” Gray said. “To be able to bring some comfort to a kid in a pretty traumatic situation, I think was really important.”
What an awesome asset Rex is to this unit. Of course I am now following him on Insta!
Fun Feel-Good Stories: Trump Hilariously Roasts Biden’s Bite-Happy Dog—Then Imagines Himself Walking a ‘Lovely Little Poodle’
Beaglemania! 300 Doggies Released From Scientific Research Breeding Operation, Taste Freedom for 1st Time
This last one is a bit of a tearjerker. Hat tip to our Deputy Managing Editor and fellow dog lover, Susie Moore, for finding it.
In 2014, a man named Bryce was preparing to move from New Mexico to Texas, and his dog Sierra, a sweet Husky mix was staying with a friend. Sadly, she escaped the friend’s yard, and despite his attempts at searching, Bryce was never able to locate her.
Fast forward to April 8, 2026, in Brooksville, FL of all places.
A 13-year-old Siberian husky arrived at the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services on April 8, 2026 as a stray. She was a mess; she was undernourished, missing patches of her once beautiful coat and moved very slowly because time and hardship had taken their tolls.
There was one thing the dog had that so many lost dogs lack; this husky had a microchip and with it, the information contained a phone number. Bryce answered the phone, and the Texas resident was practically speechless. His dog named Sierra had been missing for the last 12 years!
Bryce told the shelter staff the last time he had seen Sierra had been in New Mexico. Sierra, a now 13-year-old, 40 pound, spayed Husky….[was in 2014].
After seeing the dog’s shelter photos, Bryce was heartbroken at her condition and according to the shelter personnel, he had become overwhelmed with the thought he could see and be with her again.
What a fortunate blessing that Bryce never changed his number. But now there was the added hurdle of transporting Sierra 1,400 miles from Florida to Midland, TX. That’s where Many Paws Volunteer Pet Transport came in. Many Paws is seriously run by volunteers who help transport pets in need to families and rescues across the U.S. From transferring a pet from a high-kill shelter to an available rescue organization in another state, to delivering the pet of a military service member to their family’s home while the service member is deployed, to helping a lost pet reunite with their long-lost owner, it’s a beautiful service that produces lots of Happy Trails and Happy Tails.
While Sierra’s transport to Texas was being arranged, the Husky received medical treatment – regular medicated baths for her skin condition – and she enjoyed daily walks and enriching play. And of course, lots of puppy hugs, scritches, and love from the staff and volunteers.
Eight days later, Sierra was on her way to Texas, and it was quite the adventure.
I do love his t-shirt. Going to have to look for one for myself.
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Sierra is definitely a survivor, and that’s badass in and of itself. While it is sad that Bryce and Sierra had to be apart for so long, the beautiful thing is they are now reunited, and her remaining years will no doubt be filled with love and care.
Editor’s Note: At RedState, it’s not all about politics and policy. We like to bring attention to what’s good in the world, with columns like “Feel-Good Friday,” “Start Your Weekend Right,” and “Hoge’s Heroes.”
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