Darcy was an accomplished member of the Greensburg Bloodhound Team.
She successfully helped find numerous missing adults and children and helped state police get key information about a suspect in a bank robbery in Westmoreland County. In that case, she followed scent trail to where the suspect parked.
“She was just a good dog,” said Lou Battistella, team commander.
Darcy, 12, is being remembered as a dependable and well-loved member of the team after she died Saturday. She has been part of the team since September 2015 and worked with several handlers over the years, including Battistella’s daughter, Elysia.
Bloodhounds can follow scent trails from skin cells left behind, which helps their human counterparts by pointing them in the right direction.
Outside of work, 130-pound Darcy was known as a gentle giant with her calm demeanor and expressive eyes while participating in outreach events and demonstrations. In 2025, the team had 40 such events, which help with socialization for the dogs.
“Darcy was very gentle around kids,” Battistella said. “Darcy genuinely wanted to be there.”
In the past few years, Darcy was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer and had part of her lower jaw removed. She adapted quickly and learned how to eat while still keeping up with work and chemotherapy medication.
“Through it all, she never lost her drive, her affection, or her strength,” Battistella said.
Darcy was the 28th working bloodhound to serve the team since its founding in 1969 by the late Greensburg fire Chief Ed Hutchinson. There are currently five bloodhounds on the team.