A dog's bark managed to bite into the curiosity of a concerned citizen and Prince George Mounties.

The dog seemed to be trying to raise the alarm, thought the observant one who phoned the RCMP. Police soon explored the wooded paths of Cottonwood Island Park and found the concerns to be valid.

"An employees of a nearby business on River Road called us to report that an older male had been walking with his dog earlier and the dog was back at the vehicle unattended," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "The dog had been barking for about 20 minutes and there was no sign of the older man."

The small black dog was still at the vehicle, barking as reported, when officers arrived. The dog had no leash but with little urging, seemed to indicate a particular direction they should follow. Between their searching of the trails and the owner's meandering on the popular riverside trails, the dog's owner was soon discovered. He was returning to his vehicle, but he was not well.

"The man appeared confused and disoriented, apparently suffering from a mental illness," Douglass said. "The officers transported the man and his dog to his residence and spoke with concerned family members. The family agreed to take necessary steps to ensure the gentleman's safety in the future."

The identity of the man, a 79-year-old Prince George resident, was not disclosed, nor was the name of the dog.

"The officers believe that the dog showed concern and wished to lead the officers to the man," Douglass said. "While they were conducting searches of the area, the dog was making indications of what directions to go in, what the starting point should be."

Police were grateful for the canine concern, and for the observant citizen's impulse to call police.

"This was exactly the situation when a call to police is appropriate - when there is a concern, or something that just doesn't seem right."