RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of retired K-9 Parker, a bloodhound whose career spanned nearly a decade of criminal investigations and search-and-rescue missions across the region.
Parker died Wednesday, July 15, while living with his longtime handler, Detective Paul McDole, following his retirement in 2025.
Born on April 25, 2015, Parker joined the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office later that year after being donated by 832 Deputy Dogs. He was trained and certified with Detective McDole before beginning his law enforcement career.
According to the sheriff’s office, Parker worked on countless criminal investigations and search-and-rescue cases throughout his career. One of his first major successes came when he helped locate a missing juvenile in neighboring Scotland County.
Parker also completed advanced training with the FBI, further enhancing his tracking abilities. In addition to assisting Richmond County deputies, he regularly responded to requests from surrounding law enforcement agencies.
The sheriff’s office said Parker remained with Detective McDole after retiring and spent his final months at home with his handler.
The agency is remembering Parker for his years of dedicated service and the role he played in helping bring suspects to justice and locate missing people throughout the region.
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