Buford the dog honored after keeping missing little boy safe
YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. - We have a sweet update about the Yavapai County dog who helped find a missing toddler in Seligman a week ago.
What we know:
The dog that helped rescue a two-year-old boy who was missing in Seligman is getting special recognition for his good work.
Buford was presented with an honorary search-and-rescue certificate and a vest by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.
The little boy who was lost was given a challenge coin for his courageous spirit.
Buford the dog helps rescue missing Arizona boy
Good boy! Buford helped find a missing 2-year-old Arizona boy who wandered away from his home and spent the night under a tree in rugged terrain.
The backstory:
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says a 2-year-old boy, Boden Allen, wandered off from his Seligman home on April 14.
A crew of over 40 people, along with deputies and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, responded to the boy's property. Sixteen hours into the search, a nearby rancher reported that a young child walked onto his property.
The child was later confirmed to be the missing boy.
Buford's owner and the rancher who reported finding the child, Scotty Dunton, says he found the boy and Buford standing at the main gate of his property.
What they're saying:
"When I got the little kid to calm down, I asked him, 'Did you walk all night?' and he said, 'No, I slept under a tree,' and I said, 'Did my dog find you?' and he said 'Yep!' and I said, ‘You just followed my dog?’ He goes, 'Yup,' and the dog brought him over here," Dunton said.
As far as how Boden wandered off, Dunton said Boden's mother was changing a sibling's diaper when Boden got away.