Photos: Hero police dog finds missing 13-year-old amid historic North Carolina snowstorm
A heartwarming ending in the freezing cold: K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, police said.
People out enjoying the snow as major storm blasts North Carolina
JAN. 31, 2026 - North Carolina residents are out enjoying the snow as a major nor'easter blasts the area. FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen shares the latest.
GASTONIA, N.C. – A police dog and his handler rescued a North Carolina teen who went missing during the height of last weekend's historic nor'easter in dangerous and snowy conditions.
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![K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, the Gastonia Police Department said.]()
Image 1 of 2K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, the Gastonia Police Department said. (Gastonia Police Department/Facebook)
![K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, the Gastonia Police Department said.]()
Image 2 of 2K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, the Gastonia Police Department said. (Gastonia Police Department/Facebook)
K-9 officer Bo was able to track down and find the 13-year-old boy who has special needs and left his home without warm clothing, the Gastonia Police Department said.
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Bo, a bloodhound, was given some of the young teen's possessions in order to catch his scent.
First responders established a perimeter while Bo and his handler, Sergeant David Rowland, were able to track and find the boy in the dark of night.
CHARLOTTE, USA - FEBRUARY 1: A view from Charlotte Douglas International Airport following a massive winter storm.
((Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images))
The Gastonia Police Department said the teen was cold, but unharmed.
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According to the FOX Forecast Center, nearby Charlotte, North Carolina, tallied 11 inches of snow last weekend.
The historic storm "bombed out" off the Carolina coast, delivering record snow to parts of the Southeast and near hurricane-force wind gusts.
CHARLOTTE, USA - JANUARY 31: Snow covers Charlotte during winter storm, as bomb cyclone brings heavy snow in Charlotte NC, United States on January 31, 2026.
((Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Bo was named American Humane's Hero Dog of Year back in 2024.
According to the animal welfare organization, Bo has a prolific history of tracking down both missing people and criminals.