Awesome - Cops Finally Locate Missing Child Only To Realize The Threat Is Far From Over
If you don't have your eyes glued to your toddler at all times, they could disappear at any moment. In high-traffic places like New York City and Disney World, parents sometimes even leash their children! Still, you'd think it'd be hard to lose a child in the secluded quaintness of the woods. So when an unsupervised three-year-old boy from Florida wandered off into the thick of the woods, his mother was was worried sick, but as it turned out, he wasn't alone...
The Great Outdoors
When a Live Oak, Florida, toddler was playing in the woods with his siblings, his mother thought nothing of it. Seeing the little tykes frolicking and enjoying the great outdoors warmed her heart...until she looked out the window and noticed someone was missing.
Desperately Crying Out
Her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. What was she supposed to do? Of course the mama — who later declined to provide her name — cried out for her son and searched the entire house. At her wit's end, she dialed 911.
Contacting the Police
She contacted the Suwannee County Sheriff’s office, explaining her predicament through tears and broken words. She described the frightening situation as best she could, and soon discovered that her son wasn't the only one who blindly wandered off.
Lost Dog
Along with her sweet blonde boy, the family dog, Buddy, also vanished. The pit bull and the innocent toddler could've been anywhere, possibly quite far from each other. Worst of all, dogs and kids are notoriously curious creatures...
On the Case
Thinking about the trouble both her son and dog could easily get into made this Florida mom's head spin. Well, patrol deputies and investigators with the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office, along with K9 units from Suwannee Correctional Institution, were on the case.
Searching High and Low
Looking high and low, they made it their mission to search every crevice of the woods...if they were even still there. It was hard not to imagine every macabre possibility, but the mama stayed strong.
No Clues
With no evidence of his whereabouts, footprints, or dropped belongings, though, the police were left scratching their heads. Even the K9 units struggled, unable to locate the youngster based on his scent. But it wasn't long before the police station received another call.
A Protective Pooch
A perturbed neighbor called the police station, stating he spotted an unsupervised child with a dog by his side. According to the police station, the neighbor explained how "the dog wouldn’t let him get near the child.”
Heartwarming and Astounding
It had to be Buddy and the missing boy! The brown-and-white pup acted as a bodyguard, refusing to let any stranger approach the little one. It was both heartwarming and astounding, and definitely made Buddy a credit to his controversial breed...
Negative Stigma
Due to their heinous reputation as fighting dogs (which is entirely due to human influence), pit bulls are often seen as a danger to small children. Buddy, on the other hand, seemingly would've done anything to protect his little friend.
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Bodyguard or Bad Guy?
In reality, if you train pit bulls and raise them in a stable environment, they're wonderful pets. But police weren't so sure the dog wouldn't turn on the child upon feeling stressed or threatened.
On the Lookout
It's actually a myth that pit bulls are more likely to "turn" on their owners than other dog breeds, so the cops didn't fret for long. When police arrived on the scene, they saw Buddy alert and on the lookout, evidently waiting for help to arrive.
A Helpful Guide
WCTV Eyewitness News obtained police bodycam footage from the search, which showed the muscular dog confidently leading the way to the boy's exact location! He knew what he needed to do to protect and save his family.
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Safe and Sound
Buddy acted as a four-legged GPS, steering the patrol deputies to the missing child. Thankfully, both Buddy and the toddler are now home, completely safe and sound. We imagine the mother won't be taking her eyes off of her boy until he turns 18.
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A Happy Ending
“It was such a good ending to something that could have been tragic,” Sheriff Sam St. John told WCTV Eyewitness News. Well, he wasn't wrong: It's not every day that a little boy and his dog return from the woods unscathed.
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Other Possibilities
Given their history with cases like this, the Sheriff's office couldn't help but consider the worst. The little boy could've tripped and broken a bone, wandered into the street and gotten hit by a car, or even gotten kidnapped! Thankfully, the located the toddler before any of those gruesome possibilities came to fruition.
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A Refreshing Story
Considering all the horrid news stories we take in daily, the sheriff felt this story was beyond refreshing. “We’re all the time putting out tragic news. I’m telling you, it feels so good, so good to tell a good story," the sheriff continued.
Man's Best Friend
“Fortunately, we were able to reunite the child with his mother, thanks in part to ‘man’s best friend’ and an alert neighbor,” the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. The Sheriff's Office considered Buddy a hero.
Four-Legged Hero
The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office adorably completed the post with the hashtags "give that dog a bone," "man’s best friend" and "Lassie ain’t got nothing on Buddy." We can only hope Buddy was given lots of treats and belly rubs after a hard day's work.
Nurturing Pitties
Despite the negative stereotypes surrounding pit bulls being "monsters," there are loads of stories proving their warm, nurturing instincts, especially with children. But every pup is different, and when choosing to adopt a pit bull, just know that the dog may have a brutal past.
Lingering Fear
Bringing a rescue dog — especially one that's been abused — into your home can be a scary prospect. You can't help but worry that the dog might instinctively resort to aggressive behavior, and Linda Hickey knew this feeling all too well.
Saving a Pooch
Linda and her husband, Grant, lived with their two sons and dogs in Johns Creek, Georgia, when they considered bringing a rescue puppy into the family. The puppy had an intriguing story, but Linda worried if a packed house was the ideal place for a once-abused pooch.
Family Troubles
Complicating matters further, the couple's youngest, Jonny, had been diagnosed with autism before his first birthday. "He wasn't reaching his milestones," Linda said. They would have to worry not only about how the puppy would react, but how their son would react, too.
A Delicate Situation
"I couldn't even order cold cuts at the deli counter," Grant added. "I'd roll up to the deli counter and say, 'give me a half pound of this, a half pound of that,' and Jonny would just start screaming." Obviously, it was a delicate situation.
Parental Doubts
The parents knew all too well the anxiety that came with introducing anything new — let alone an abused animal — to the family. How could she make an adoption work? Would it just become one more thing that would aggravate Jonny?
Xena the Warrior
Still, Linda had fallen in love with the little pit bull, aptly named Xena the Warrior Puppy. She'd been watching the nightly news when images of the abused pup appeared on the screen. At that time, authorities were on the lookout for those who had hurt the poor dog.
Scrolling Online
The broadcast mentioned a Facebook page for Xena, and Linda headed there right away. "I would pray for her at night, and first thing in the morning... I would sign in [to Facebook] to see if she had made it through the night." There was no denying it: Linda was in puppy love!
A Special Case
Linda wasn't the only one concerned about the puppy's future. Chrissy Kaczynski—founder of Friends of Animals—was one of the pooch's caretakers. "In all the years that I have been doing rescue," she said, "I have never seen a puppy in that same condition."
Getting Better
Xena kept fighting, and with medicine, rest, and love, her health greatly improved. "She just got better and better every day and just became more of a regular puppy," Chrissy said. Soon, she'd be ready to leave intensive care and find a forever home—and Linda jumped at the chance.
The Big Meeting
"After talking to Linda, we decided that they would be the best home if it would work out with them," Chrissy confirmed. But how would this once-abused puppy and the family's autistic son get along? There was only one way to find out...
Kiss of Approval
It was decided that Linda would host Xena for a trial visit. Thankfully, Xena couldn't contain her excitement! When Grant came home for lunch, Xena was there to plant a smooch right on his face. But the real test—Jonny—was still at school.
Past Failures
The family already had several dogs, and Jonny paid zero attention to them. As his dad put it, "It was as if they [Jonny and the dogs] were in parallel worlds," that never intersected. Would the boy behave similarly with Xena? And would another dog be too many?
Ear to Ear
It was time for the moment of truth. With Xena in tow, Linda drove to Jonny's school to pick him up. "He couldn't believe it," she said, stunned. "It was a complete surprise: she's lickin' him all over his face, and he's smiling ear to ear." It appeared that the two bonded instantly!
Natural Therapy
Their friendship only became stronger from there. Later that evening, Linda caught Jonny reading to Xena in the family room. "We've spent thousands of dollars on therapy," she said. "That was the best therapy standing on four legs in the family room."
Remarkable Adaptation
Linda had been so worried, but Xena was, as Chrissy put it, "a great example of how so many [pit bulls] can endure such great abuse and become absolutely remarkable family dogs." Incredibly, Xena's affection for Jonny did more than just give him a friend...
A Growing Bond
Thanks to his newfound friendship, the once unbelievably shy Jonny started to open up! Now when Grant and Linda brought him to the grocery store, he wanted to go inside. That was a far cry from the kid who would throw fits at the deli counter!
Taking Responsibility
Everything in Jonny's life was controlled for him, but with Xena, he was regularly chopping up food and feeding the dogs all on his own. As his anxiety decreased, his opportunities to engage in the world around him increased. And it was all thanks to Xena!
Better Days
In fact, Jonny's behavior improved beyond just his willingness to go into the supermarket. Before Xena, he'd only had "bad" and "okay" days at school; with his new pet, he started having great days—and he was even named superstar of the week!
Spreading the Word
The duo shared their camaraderie with the world in a YouTube video that raised awareness about a canine's effects on autism. In the video, Jonny said "we make a good team to spread the word," but that might've been an understatement!
Xena's effects on Jonny didn't go unnoticed; for all she did, the ASPCA recognized her as their "Dog of the Year" in 2013! Not only did adopting Xena save the dog, but it saved Jonny, too!
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