According to a report from KRON, a local hero dog located the remains of a missing man, Douglas Austin Martin Farnsworth, 32. Farnsworth went missing from a hiking trail in Juneau, Alaska, over a month ago.
Farnsworth’s sister had been searching for him since the day he vanished. At the time of his disappearance, the police didn’t have much to go on.
That changed when a hiker’s dog led their human off the trail and discovered Farnsworth’s remains.
First Reported Missing In September
Twitter, I need your help. My friend #DouglasFarnsworth from #Juneau #Alaska has been missing since 9.28. His truck was found up Basin rd., and clothes that match his were also found. Please help us bring Doug home! #MissingPerson #Missing #BringDougHome pic.twitter.com/nyYgMjncHa
— BLACKLIVESMATTER (@Brigida89) October 4, 2021
On September 29th, 2021, Farnsworth was reported missing.
Juneau Police Department (JPD) officials told KRON that they discovered Farnsworth’s truck near the Gold Creek Flume hiking trail. Upon inspecting camera footage from part of the trail, they confirmed that he was walking there.
However, all attempts to locate him, or any kind of remains, proved unsuccessful.
A Hero Dog Located The Remains
Over a month later, a local hiker and their dog were on the trail when the dog suddenly took off in search of something. That something ended up being Farnsworth’s remains.
JPD was later able to quickly confirm that the remains, found 100 yards up the hill from the trail, were Farnsworth’s.
“Clothing items consistent with those worn by Douglas Farnsworth when he went missing were located amongst the remains,” JPD reported in a news release about the incident.
“A cell phone and firearm were also located near the remains, and they are believed to have been in Farnsworth’s possession.”
A Family & Community Can Now Mourn
Due to our canine friend’s superb senses, Farnsworth’s sister and his community can properly mourn his death. How he died was not disclosed in KRON’s report, as the incident is still under investigation.
Unable to attend the vigil held for her brother, Farnworth’s sister sent a letter to be read. “Doug has always been fun, outgoing, and had the capability to fit in anywhere,” she wrote.
“This is a moment we can take to help prevent this from happening to other people. Doug always wanted to do something huge in his life. I am not in Juneau, but the community’s love for Doug has shined so hard.”
The dog who found Farnsworth certainly did something huge with their life, and Farnworth’s sister agrees. She believes that this hero dog deserves a trophy.
In fact, she’s currently looking for information on the identity of the hiker in order to offer a $5,000 reward.
If you believe your dog could help find missing people, then it might interest you to know that there are volunteer groups who train their dogs to assist in investigations.
Try looking up an organization near you. You can also check out how a volunteer group in Iowa trained their dogs to help search for missing people here!
Are you glad that this man’s family and community can properly mourn now? Have you heard any other stories where a dog located the remains of a missing person? Let us know in the comments below.
