K9 Trina Locates Endangered Juvenile in Waikoloa

Hawai‘i Island police successfully located an endangered juvenile in Waikoloa on Friday, September 4, 2026, with the assistance of the department’s scent-discriminating canine, Trina.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., South Kohala Patrol officers responded to a Waikoloa residence after receiving a report of a juvenile who had left the home at approximately 6:00 a.m. Based on information provided to responding officers, the juvenile was considered endangered, prompting a search of the surrounding area.

K9 Trina, accompanied by her handler and assisting officers, responded to the area and joined in the search.

At approximately 1:32 p.m., Trina led officers to a brush-covered area approximately 150 yards from the residence, where the juvenile was located. The juvenile was found in good health and was safely reunited with her family.

Trina, a three-year-old Labrador Retriever from Sweden, is trained as a live-find human tracking canine. She is partnered with Officer Christopher Ross of the Area II Juvenile Aid Section and is tasked with assisting in searches for missing children and endangered adults throughout Hawai‘i Island.