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A rancher’s dog is being hailed a hero after escorting a missing toddler to safety.
The little boy — who was just two years old, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office — was reported missing April 14 at around 5 p.m. after he disappeared from his home in Seligman, Arizona.
Local authorities said the boy was dressed in a blue tank top and pajama pants, per NBC News.
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The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office launched an immediate search that included “over 40 search and rescue members, several deputies, DPS, a DPS ranger and Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies.”
During the search, which ran through the night, a DPS ranger rescue helicopter spotted two mountain lions within close proximity of the area — which is also home to coyotes and the occasional bear.
Despite 16 hours of searching, the police had nothing to show for it — but a dog named Buford did.
Local rancher Scotty Dunton, who lives about seven miles away from the little boy’s home, was patrolling his property when he saw his Anatolian Pyrenees walking alongside a little boy.
"I got in my truck to go to town and I see Buford walking down the side of the fence with a little blonde kid with him," he told KPNX of Phoenix.
"I had heard about the missing child this morning, so I knew it was him,” he added.
Dunton said Buford regularly patrols his land, especially at night, to keep the local wildlife off his property.
But on April 15, Buford had bigger things on his plate.
“It’s what he does,” Dunton said of Buford while talking to the police. “He loves kids, so I can imagine he wouldn’t leave him when he found him.”
According to Wag!, “the Anatolian Pyrenees is a mixture of the Anatolian Shepherd and the Great Pyrenees.” They describe the breed as a “gentle giant” and “great guardian.”
Missing toddler traveled through miles of ‘rough country’
The boy was safe and in good shape, according to Dunton, but was visibly upset. After tracing the boy’s steps, it became clear why.
“That’s a lot of country he went through,” Dunton told KPNX — and it wasn’t just the wildlife the child could have came in contact with that had Dunton perplexed.
“There’s three big canyons and ridges all the way leading to where he came from, so that’s a long rough piece of country,” Dunton explained.
“It’s amazing he made it as far as he did,” he added.
Upon finding the boy, Dunton brought him inside and gave him food and water. He told the boy that he’s the “'toughest little 2-year-old' he had ever seen,” to which the boy replied, “Yep.”
“There was a thousand ways for that to go really, really bad and one good way and luckily it turned out to be the good way," Dunton added.
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According to KPNX, the boy suffered a few scratches but no major injuries before reuniting with his family.
