Bella Grace, an English Springer Spaniel, stuck by her 2-year-old human’s side as he wandered away from his family on Monday night and helped searchers locate the missing boy.
The little boy was playing with his 3 older cousins outside the family’s home near Richmond, Minnesota when he wandered off around 6:15 pm. When the family couldn’t find the boy, Bella Grace, or Bella Grace’s 12-week-old puppy after 30 minutes of searching, they called the police.
In addition to sheriff’s deputies and various fire and rescue personnel, the search was aided by 2 law enforcement Bloodhounds, around 200 volunteers, and the police helicopter. The “heat signature” of Bella pacing around the boy and the puppy helped the police in the helicopter locate the boy in a cornfield about a quarter of a mile from the family’s home. Here’s a video from the police helicopter, where you can see the 4-legged Bella pacing around the boy. Toward the end of the video you can see rescuers reach the boy and dogs. (There’s no sound.)
Bella Grace’s occasional barking also helped searchers locate the trio. Stearns County Sheriff’s Lt. Vic Weiss acknowledged Bella Grace’s role in saving the boy, saying her movements “absolutely, for sure” helped rescuers spot the child.
The toddler was found around 9:20 pm, a little cold and hungry but otherwise fine. He was returned to his relieved mother.
(H/T: Inside Edition, Star Tribune
