A 2-year-old toddler who vanished from his home in Arizona was found safe after spending the night alone in the remote wilderness – thanks to a rancher’s dog who led him to safety.
The boy disappeared from his home in Seligman, about 100 miles from Grand Canyon National Park at around 5 p.m., wearing only a tank top and pajama pants.
His disappearance sparked a massive search effort involving more than 40 people, including Department of Public Safety rangers and a DPS helicopter.
But in the end, it wasn’t the rescue teams who found him.
About 16 hours after he went missing, local rancher Scotty Dunton spotted the boy on his property, roughly 7 miles from where the child had gone missing.
According to Dunton, the toddler was walking alongside his dog, Buford, who appeared to be guiding him.
Dunton said he was just about to head into town when he saw Buford walking along the fence line with the little boy. He immediately knew who he was as he had heard about the missing toddler earlier that morning.
Dunton said he asked the toddler if he had walked all through the night, but the boy shook his head and told him he had rested under a tree.
While the boy looked to be in good condition, Dunton, who works as a beef rancher, said he was clearly shaken by the ordeal.
Wanting to understand how the boy had made it to his property, Dunton retraced his path and discovered that Buford, his dog, had accompanied the toddler for at least a mile.
Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees, typically patrols the land to keep coyotes away. But this time, it seemed he took on a different role.
According to Dunton, the boy had crossed some seriously rough terrain, including rocky areas, canyons, and steep hills. Dunton was impressed by the boy’s resilience and said “he did a remarkable job.”
He also pointed out that the area had bears, coyotes, and lions, and it was likely Buford who protected the boy while leading him to safety.
Dunton’s wife Dawn, wasn’t at home when the incident happened, but said her husband was able to comfort the boy when he was crying.
According to Dawn, Buford, whom they’ve had ever since he was a puppy, has always loved kids. She said they chose him because of his chill demeanor and added that as a livestock guardian breed, it’s their instinct to “roam and protect.”
After the boy was given some water, he was eventually reunited with his parents. While he sustained a few scratches from his overnight adventure, he suffered no injuries.
