San Lorenzo Valley, CA – If you lose a dog in California’s rugged Santa Cruz Mountains, Plato the Dude should be your first call.
The 10-year-old Shiba Inu mix is beloved by his community and its Nextdoor social network for his kind heart and astonishing tracking skills. Using the latter, Plato has located over 60 lost canines in California’s San Lorenzo Valley area.
“Plato is a natural. He wants to get the job done,” the pup’s owner, Micahel Fradin, tells PEOPLE.
Fradin adopted the dog about 10 years ago from a local who could no longer care for the canine. Plato arrived at Fradin’s home overfed but “extremely calm.”