Macie the bloodhound, beloved BSO K-9 with nearly decade-long career, dies
FORT LAUDERDALE — Macie the bloodhound, a beloved Broward County Sheriff's K-9 with a nearly decade-long career, has died.
The Jimmy Ryce Center shared the sad news of Macie's death on Saturday, saying the 11-year-old purebred "passed away peacefully" on Friday.
"Macie won the hearts of everyone she met," the nonprofit said.
Macie came to BSO through the Jimmy Ryce Center as a puppy, as part of the nonprofit's mission to donate bloodhounds to help law enforcement find abducted and lost children. In 1995, Jimmy Ryce, 9, was abducted and killed in South Miami-Dade. His family started the foundation to honor his legacy.
Macie was BSO's first bloodhound and she was also its first certified therapy dog. The bloodhound was named after Martha Ryce, Jimmy's sister. Like her namesake, Macie was a "kind and loving" canine, the nonprofit said. Also like her namesake, Macie devoted her life to helping victims of tragedy.
K-9 Deputy Kel Li Covet, who was partnered with Macie in April 2013, recalled their meeting as "love at first sight." After nine years of unwavering service, Macie retired from the force in 2023.
From April 2013 to January 2023, Macie responded to 1,118 calls for service and 523 deployments to active and on-the-ground-searches, with over 100 confirmed tracks, assists and finds. Off the clock, she attended 346 demonstrations and other community events in Broward County.
"We salute K-9 Macie and thank her for nearly a decade of exceptional service searching for missing children and adults," the Jimmy Ryce Center said. "Our hearts ache but we take comfort in knowing that Macie is running in heaven with her brothers (Bandit and Kash) and sister (Nellie) surrounded by Jimmy, Martha, Claudine and Don Ryce."