KONA, Hawaii – Hawaii County Police are introducing “Magnum” to Hawaii Island.

This media release was issued on Wednesday:

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri is happy to announce that Big Island police will soon have another valuable tool in locating missing persons. The Friends of the Missing Child Center of Hawai’i is graciously donating a scent-discriminating tracking dog to the police department.

The male Labrador named Magnum was purchased through a grant that the non-profit organization was able to secure from the Atherton Foundation. During his training in North Carolina, Magnum was already credited with finding a missing person.

The dog arrived in the state last week and has been housed at the Honolulu Police Department’s training and canine facility in Waipahu. He is scheduled to arrive in Kona on Thursday (July 14th).

Chief Kubojiri said the Police Department anxiously awaits Magnum’s arrival. “While, thankfully, it’s rare that a child goes missing in our community, we must remain prepared for such a tragic event,” he said. “Since Tucker’s retirement more than three years ago, we have been without such an asset in West Hawai’i.”