Last night, our Rockville City Police Department helped bring a missing 10-year-old child home safely, thanks to the extraordinary work of our incredible officers and one very special member of the RCPD family, K-9 Dare!

On Thursday evening, October 8, a Rockville family was desperately searching for their missing child near Congressional Lane. RCPD officers quickly responded, established a perimeter, and deployed Dare, the department's first-ever bloodhound, along with her handler, Corporal James Shieder Jr.

Using an article carrying the child's scent, Dare immediately went to work and, within just 15 minutes, located the child in a wooded area along Congressional Lane. Thankfully, the child was unharmed and safely reunited with their family.

As a father, I can only imagine the fear and anguish that family experienced, followed by the tremendous relief of having their child safely back home. I am incredibly grateful to our responding officers, Corporal Shieder, and Dare for their quick action and outstanding work, which helped give this frightening experience such a wonderful ending.

A Special K-9 With an Important Mission

Dare joined RCPD in December 2025 as the department's first bloodhound, bringing a valuable new capability to a K-9 program that has served Rockville for more than 50 years.

With her extraordinary sense of smell and specialized training, Dare can track human scent to help locate missing children, vulnerable adults, and others who may be in danger. Her addition to the department gives our officers another important resource when time is critical.

I've had the pleasure of spending a great deal of time with Dare, and I've developed a real fondness for this amazing K9 officer and the incredible work of her handler, Corporal Shieder. Seeing her put her remarkable abilities to work to help bring a missing child home makes me especially proud of Dare, her handler, and our entire RCPD K-9 program.

Following Thursday night's rescue, Police Chief Jason West emphasized the importance of Dare's specialized training:

Chief West also recognized that Dare's ability to locate the child so quickly demonstrated the value of investing in specialized public safety resources.

I couldn't agree more. Thursday night's successful rescue demonstrates why I have consistently advocated for providing our Rockville police officers with the personnel, training, equipment, and resources they need to protect our community. Whether it's expanding our K-9 program, supporting competitive officer salaries, or investing in modern public safety technology, these investments help ensure that our officers are prepared when our neighbors need them most.

Thank You to Our Rockville Police Officers

I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the men, women, and K-9s of the Rockville City Police Department, who serve our community every day and respond when families are facing some of their most difficult and frightening moments.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Corporal Shieder, Dare, all the responding officers, and Chief West for their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to keeping Rockville safe. Their coordinated response is another wonderful example of the outstanding police department we are fortunate to have serving our city.

Most importantly, I am so thankful that this child is safely back home and that a Rockville family can breathe a tremendous sigh of relief.

And to Dare, our newest four-legged Rockville hero, congratulations on an extraordinary job! I've always known you were a special member of our police department, but seeing you put your incredible talents to work to help bring a missing child safely home makes me even more proud of you and your handler. I know you have many more years of important work ahead of you, but for now, I hope Corporal Shieder has a few extra treats and some well-deserved belly rubs ready for you because you've certainly earned them!

Learn more about K-9 Dare and the RCPD K-9 program.