Sheriff Offering Kits To Help Dogs Locate Missing Persons

YORKVILLE, IL —The Kendall County Sheriff's Office is offering free scent collection kits, which preserve a person's scent in order to help police dogs find that person if they go missing.

According to a release, the Scent Preservation Kit is quick and easy to use, allowing you to collect and store your loved one's scent and have it available to first responders in case of an emergency. Statistics suggest that children, specifically those with autism spectrum disorder, and elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia, are vulnerable populations with the greatest risk of becoming a missing person.

Scent Evidence K9, the Tallahassee, FL-based producer of the kits, said a person's scent is unique like a fingerprint to K-9 responders, and it can last up to 10 years if properly preserved. The company called the kits a "great addition to a family's safety plan."

According to statistics posted on the company's website, over 4.5 million people have gone missing over the past 20 years, including 651,226 in 2017 alone, a statistic reported by the FBI National Crime Information Center. Of those reported missing that year, 70 percent (over 450,000) were children.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in 68 children has been diagnosed with autism. Nearly 50 percent of children in that population will go missing at least once before the age of 17, according to the American Pediatric Association.

Additional studies suggest the number of Americans diagnosed with dementia will increase to 7.1 million in 2025. Scent Evidence K9 said studies indicated six out of 10 people with dementia will become lost at some point.

"At Scent Evidence K9, we believe that these heartbreaking statistics are much more than just numbers on a page," the company's website reads. "We believe that every missing person is important and deserves the best resources available to search for them."

The Kendall County Sheriff's Office believes the Scent Preservation Kit is one of those resources.

To receive a free Scent Preservation Kit, residents should contact the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office at 630-553-7500 or come to the Public Safety Center records office, 1102 Cornell Lane in Yorkville. Supplies are limited.