On Wednesday, January 18, K-9 Macie, an extraordinary 114-pound purebred bloodhound retired from a remarkable career with the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Macie was donated to BSO by the Jimmy Ryce Center.
A special celebration and ceremony took place to honor Macie and thank her for her nine years of dedicated service searching for missing children and adults.
Kel Li Covet, a K-9 Deputy with BSO was teamed with Macie in April of 2013. It was always Deputy Covet’s goal to be a K-9 handler. According to Covet, once she met Macie, “It was love at first sight.”
Macie wins the hearts of anyone who meets her. She knows who she is and embraces her role with fearless devotion, In addition to her work searching for the missing, Macie was the first certified therapy dog for BSO.
Macie was named after Martha Ryce, Jimmy Ryces’ sister. Jimmy was abducted, raped and murdered on September 11, 1995, getting off of his school bus in the Redland, Florida. For three months his parents, Don and Claudine, led an extensive search.
To honor their son’s memory, they established the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction. The organization has donated nearly 700 bloodhounds to law enforcement agencies.
The Ryces always believed that if a bloodhound was available when Jimmy was abducted he would have been found, alive.
JimmyRyce.org
Like her namesake, Macie is kind and loving. When it’s time to go to work she is all business and dedicated/focused on the trail, her mission.
“We salute K-9 Macie and wish her a lifetime of happiness, good health, lots of tummy rubs and all of the good things life has to offer,” said Mark Young, managing director and managing editor of SouthFloridareporter.com
JimmyRyce.org/donate
Bloodhound K9 Macie Stats
April 2013-January 2023
Macie has attended over 300 community events during her career
1,118 calls for service
523 deployments (active/on-the-ground searches)
346 demos/community events in Broward county
From 2016 to current -over 100 confirmed tracks, assists and finds
