Ryan, 6, and Brittany Laucks, 9, of Manchester Township scratch Lou, the York County Missing Child Task Force bloodhound, at Isaac's Restaurant & Deli in Springettsbury Township. Lou made a visit to the fundraiser Tuesday to help support his cause. Since Lou has been ready to work since March, he has been used about 17 times and found an older woman who had wandered away from her home. (DAILY RECORD / SUNDAY NEWS -- PAUL KUEHNEL )
Lou the Bloodhound is 22 months old now, has completed basic training and has already responded to more than a dozen calls.

He's tracked down a missing elderly woman and found her in a field.

He was heading in the right direction to find a missing child when the youth was found at a friend's house.

He's even helped Brando, a sage and brown German Shepherd with the York Area Regional Police Department, track down a burglary suspect recently.

Lou is the face of the York County Missing Child Task Force, but his work entails more than finding missing and abducted children.

"He's happy when he works," said Sgt. Samuel Shipley, his handler at the York County Sheriff's Department.

Lou greeted people Tuesday night as they came to a "Community Night" fundraiser at Isaac's Restaurant & Deli in Springettsbury Township. Twenty-five percent of the meal will go to help pay for Lou's care.

The 92-pound dog eats his fair share of food, Shipley said. A 45-pound bag of food lasts about a month.

While the VCA Old Trail Animal Hospital in Shrewsbury Township picks up most of Lou's veterinary bills, Shipley said he still has to pay for some things. The task force also has to pay for new equipment over time.

Lou knows it's time to get down to business when the working harness comes out, Shipley said. He also trains four to eight hours a week so he stays sharp.

When he's not responding to a call, he's laid back and relaxed. He can be a little mischievous, too, such as taking a pen or piece of paper off Shipley's desk.

"I think it's just an attention-getter," Shipley said.

Lou is friendly -- especially with children.

"He probably likes kids too much," Shipley said. "He wants to play with them."

Lou is a big part of the sheriff's department, too.

"If I come in here without him, they want to know where he is," Shipley said.

FUNDRAISER

The fundraiser for Lou drew a huge crowd Tuesday night.

The average wait was about an hour, said Sgt. Samuel Shipley of the York County Sheriff's Department. One waitress compared it to Black Friday.

Employees from many of York County's departments showed up to support the cause.