Police dog helps find missing Burlington, Ontario woman

A woman who was reported missing in Burlington earlier this week has been found thanks to a member of the Halton Police K9 Unit.

The police dog was brought in following the disappearance of Diane Kantowski.

A K9 is a dog that is trained to assist police in activities such as locating missing people.

The 79-year-old Kantowski was reported missing from her home on Wednesday and was last seen in the King Road and Plains Road area.

By the next day, police stepped up their search efforts following increasing concerns for the woman who was considered “vulnerable” and was possibly confused over her whereabouts. A mobile command unit was set up in Aldershot as police and others canvassed local streets.

“Our officers are in the area searching,” police said on social media early yesterday (Oct. 31). “Local residents, please check your properties and contact police with any information.”

The search efforts led to a successful conclusion.

“Diane Kantowski has been located safe,” police said late yesterday. “After an extensive 24-hour search Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) reports that earlier today, with the assistance of the Search Incident Response Team (SIRT), investigators and patrol officers, Diane was located safely by a member of the K9 Unit.”

Police said they utilized all the resources at their disposal to bring this search to a successful conclusion.

“The HRPS would like to specifically thank members of the public along with media partners whose tips and coverage assisted in ensuring Diane’s safe return,” they said.