Hero dog finds missing toddler, guides him home through dangerous Arizona terrain, laden with coyotes and mountain lions
On Monday, April 14, just before 5 p.m., deputies with Arizona’s Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a missing two-year-old child named Boden Allen, who wandered off and went missing from his home in Seligman. A massive operation involving 40 search and rescue members, deputies from Yavapai and Coconino County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) was launched to find the missing child.
Boden had wandered off into the rugged Arizona wilderness and into potentially deadly terrain that was home to mountain lions and coyotes, wearing only a blue tank top and pajama pants.
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During the overnight search, the DPS ranger rescue helicopter said they spotted two mountain lions in the terrain the boy traveled. Thankfully, after 16 harrowing hours of searching, Boden was discovered seven miles away on the property of rancher Scottie Dunton.
The rancher who took the missing boy in, said his dog “Buford” had discovered the child while patrolling his property where he warded off coyotes, and likely protected and directed the missing boy back to the ranch to safety. Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees, is well known in the area for patrolling the ranch and warding off coyotes. After Buford found the child about one mile away from the ranch, the hero dog guided Boden at least one mile through the rough terrain, which included mountains and coyotes.
“I got in my truck to go to town and I see Buford walking down the side of the fence with a little blond kid with him,” Dunton told NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix. “I had heard about the missing child this morning, so I knew it was him.”
The rancher traced the boy’s steps and found the dog had escorted him for at least a mile.
See the video (below) where rancher Scottie Dunton describes how Buford found Boden – and the dangerous terrain the child managed to navigate.
The rancher asked the little boy if he walked all night, and the child told him “No,” he slept under a tree for a while. Dunton described Boden as “upset” but in “good shape” when found.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office thanked DPS, the search and rescue teams, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Mohave County Sheriff’s office, and the public for sharing the flyer.
And of course, Buford the dog, who stayed with the boy and brought him to safety.
This heartwarming rescue highlights the incredible bond between humans and animals and the remarkable instincts of Buford, who ensured Boden’s safe return home. For more on the story, see the video below.
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(Source: Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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