SAFE & HOUND
Blind dog protects missing girl, 3, overnight & helps family find her
WHEN a girl of three wandered off from home and was missing in bushland overnight, her loved ones began to fear the worst as they frantically searched for her.
But they hadn’t reckoned on the family’s ageing dog Max...
Despite being partially deaf and blind, the 17-year-old hound had followed little Aurora, guarded over her and kept her warm as they sheltered under a rock.
Then the loyal mutt helped the family find the youngster on a mountain a mile from home 16 hours after she vanished.
Her gran Leisa Bennett, who heard the girl shout, said: “I thought it was a bird at first yelling back. But when I heard her yell ‘Grammy’, I knew it was her... I shot up the mountain and when I came to the top, the dog came to me and led me straight to her.”
She added: “I think [Aurora] was a bit overwhelmed by the tears and the howling, but I explained to her how happy those tears were.
“It could have gone any of 100 ways, but she’s here, she’s alive, she’s well and it’s a great outcome for our family.”
Aurora, wearing just a T-shirt, had been in the Australian bush as temperatures fell to 15C and it rained.
There were fears she had fallen into a dam near the property and drowned.
But she survived her adventure with just minor cuts. Her gran’s partner Kelly Benston said: “[Aurora] went down a small valley and up the face of a small mountain and camped there for the night.
“The dog camped with her. She’s OK. A few scratches from brush but wasn’t even scared.”
Aurora went missing from Cherry Gully, near Warwick in Queensland, at around 3pm. Over 100 volunteers and emergency service staff joined two helicopters in the search.
Aurora and cattle dog Max were found at 7.30am the next day.
They had travelled across a valley but were still on the family’s land. Officers have named Max an honorary police dog for keeping Aurora safe. Inspector Craig Berry said: “I imagine the child would be very scared and cold through the night. You hope the dog was good company and kept her warm.” Animal behaviour expert Professor Paul McGreevy said Max would have sensed Aurora’s distress. He added: “If the girl was crying, it’s likely the dog would have responded in ways that would have comforted her. “Remaining with her and standing by her would have been number one.”