SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s first search and rescue bloodhound has been in service for almost a year.

“He’s very affectionate, very gentle,” said handler Pam Medhurst.

Albert is a three-year-old bloodhound.

“You see this big dog coming towards you, but then he stops and hugs you,” Medhurst said.

He is more than an adorable pet; He is a trained officer and the first and only bloodhound to join the San Diego Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team in its history.

“Just the fact that he’s a bloodhound gives rise to a myth that, ‘Oh, the bloodhound is here.’ It just gives the family a feeling that anything is possible,” Medhurst said.

Pam Medhurst is the head of the search and rescue team’s canine unit.

“We excel in the urban environment, so we’ve had a number of reported cases of family members leaving their homes with Alzheimer’s disease,” Medhurst says.

Medhurst has been volunteering for 26 years.

“It’s very gratifying to see all these people from all over come together for the needs of an individual and a family, and we won’t stop until there is a resolution,” said Medhurst.

Albert was sworn in almost a year ago. Since then, he has traveled hundreds of kilometers to reunite families with missing loved ones. He is one of 18 dogs in the unit. We first met him when he was a three month old puppy.

Albert is named in memory of Sgt. Don Parker, died in 2018. He spent his final years as the search and rescue unit coordinator. The sergeant’s middle name was Albert.

“It’s not just about the dogs. It’s about all these different volunteers and what they do, what they contribute,” Medhurst said.

For Medhurst, volunteering is a family affair.

“I volunteer over 17,000 hours and the mileage is about 94,000 miles,” said her husband, Richard Medhurst.

Her husband is often by her side.

“It’s an addiction. There’s nothing in the world that feels as good as returning someone to their family,” Medhurst said.

Albert has completed four search and rescues, but his owners look forward to many more.

“I think we’re kind of like dogs. We’ll do it until it’s no longer fun,” Medhurst said.

It doesn’t look like anyone will be handing in their badges anytime soon.

More information about volunteering can be found here.