What happened to Gael? Massive search underway for missing Miami Gardens police K-9 as ‘tragic’ footage emerges | Hindustan Times

Miami Gardens Police have launched a huge search for a missing K-9, Gael, that was struck by a vehicle. Gael was let out of a vehicle when officers responded to a business alarm in the 200 block of Northwest 195th Street around 9:35 pm Monday, September 7.Gael then ran eastbound across Northwest 2nd Avenue. The officer tried to call Gael, but he did not respond, according to NBC Miami.Also Read | ‘Justice for Chilli’: Dog lovers seek accountability as Pitt County K9 dies after being left in hot carAn extensive search was carried out, but Gael could not be found.What happened to Gael?Heartbreaking surveillance footage later showed that Gael had been struck by a vehicle. However, he still continued going eastbound.Officers are now canvassing the area and searching for Gael. All available Miami Gardens police patrol units began searching for him, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, per Local10 News.Ahie Smith, who lives down the street, described the police scene around his house on Monday night. “They were just riding, circling, putting a light on my yard,” he said. “Helicopters riding around, riding around for hours. Ride around, ride around, I stepped out to see what was going on, it looked kind of crazy.”The dog has been described as 2.5 years old, 55 to 65 pounds, with beige hair and brown eyes. When Gael went missing, he was wearing a collar that said "Mama says I'm special."Also Read | ‘Tears and prayers’: Community comes together to save ‘faithful’ Polk County K9 Ace who was shot by suspectSheldon Fox-7 News shared a video of the police scene on X, with some blaming the handler in the comment section.“The dog got away? Handler is responsible. Handler is inept, and the result was the dog was hit. This is tragic,” one user commented.“Wow. Hard to know why they don't have air tag type of transponders on police K-9s,” wrote another.“Wth- if a trained K9 runs away there is definately a handler problem,” wrote a user.Anyone with information about Gael’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Miami Gardens Police Department at 305-474-2100.