Missing Michigan Toddler Found Asleep in the Woods Guarded by Family Dogs

A missing Michigan toddler was found sleeping in the woods guarded by family dogs, as a result of a frantic search of the area by police, rescue teams, and volunteers in the Michigan heavily wooded area.

The incident occurred last week when a two-year-old girl, named Thea Chase, wandered away from her home in a remote area of the state.

After several hours of being missing, Thea was spotted safe and sound with the two dogs, one used as a pillow and the other as her bodyguard.

Missing Toddler Found

(Photo : Photo by Rafaëlla Waasdorp on Unsplash)

It was around 7:30 p.m. local time on September 20 when Brooke Chase, the mother of the missing toddler, reported her disappearance at their home in the small town of Faithorn in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, according to local sources.

The town lies in the state's Menominee County, along County Road 577 close to the Canadian border near Sault Ste. Marie.

Brooke told a local outlet that Thea's uncle told her daughter, who was playing in the yard barefoot, to go back inside their house and put some shoes on.

After checking a few moments later, Brooke and her brother-in-law were surprised not to find Thea along with the dogs, an English Springer named Hartley and a Rottweiler named Buddy.

The two then searched the surrounding areas for the missing toddler for half an hour but to no avail, according to reports.

It was during this time that they called the police around 8 p.m. on the same day, resulting in local community members forming volunteer search parties to look for Thea.

It was during midnight when a family friend found the missing girl.

Also Read: US: Gus the Three-Legged Dog Saves Baby Otter Along the Minnesota River

Can Dogs Protect You When in Danger?

The incident involving the missing Michigan toddler shows the seeming intelligence and sense of security of some pet dogs, especially toward its owners and their family members, as previously claimed by many.

According to experts, the behavior of dogs when it comes to protecting their owners and other humans varies on an individual case.

The Georgia Veterinary Associates animal hospital provides a list of some of the most protective dog breeds in the world:

Belgian Malinois
German Shepherd
Rottweiler
Doberman Pinscher
Bullmastiff
Giant Schnauzer
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Cane Corso
Great Dane

The case of the missing toddler last week is only one of the many instances in which pet dogs have proven their loyalty and companionship to humans.

In July 2023, reports of an Australian sailor, named Timothy Shaddock, was stranded in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Mexico along with his dog.

Shaddock was destined to French Polynesia during a 3,700-mile voyage when a storm struck his small catamaran boat.

In 2022, a video surfaced online after showing a German Shepherd saving a six-year-old who was about to be attacked by another dog.

Meanwhile, in 2016, an abandoned seven-day-old baby in a crossing was rescued, which would not be possible if not for the protection of four stray dogs, which helped chase away crows and surrounded her until help came.