Local search and rescue K-9 dies after exposure to toxic substance

Local law enforcement are mourning the loss of a K-9 who worked search and rescue cases across Hampton Roads.

GARD K9 Search and Rescue said K9 Madison 'Maddy' died Friday after coming into contact with a toxic substance. It happened while she was conducting a search for law enforcement.

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Maddy has quite the story.

She was found abandonded in a cemetery in Kentucky and needed to be fostered, according to a Facebook post. She was transferred to Raleigh, North Carolina, and in 2016, became a search and rescue dog.

Since then, Maddy and her handler, based in York County, responded to more than a hundred missions, working with law enforcement across the country.

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According to GARD, Maddy also assisted in the case of Codi Bigsby.

"K9 Maddy’s search efforts have resulted in numerous finds of victims, crime scenes, and weapons which have led to court testimony and aided in convictions," the Facebook post reads. "One particular search, K9 Maddy found a subject who was in critical condition deep in the woods resulting in a life saved. From a small abandoned puppy to a hero. We will miss you K9 Maddy, thank you for your life of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia SAR Program."

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