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Toddlers going missing is never an easy matter, especially for the parents and those looking for them. A missing Arizona toddler left his parents worried after he suddenly disappeared. This led to the launch of a huge search operation for him. Thankfully, after the Arizona toddler walked seven miles alone in the wilderness, a rancher’s dog came and led him to safety. People were left in awe at what the dog, named Buford, did. They, as they should, called him a good boy. His owner is probably more than proud.
The Arizona toddler went missing around 5 pm on the 14th of April. He left his home which was in Seligman, Arizona. This is about 100 miles south of Grand Canyon National Park. Soon enough, a search operation was underway with more than 40 rescuers. What made matters worse was that a DPS helicopter noticed that there were two mountain lions in the same area. Thankfully, the Arizona toddler was found after 16 hours by a rancher named Scotty Dunton.
What Exactly Happened?
Dunton found the 2-year-old toddler on his land, which is around 7 miles far from where he went missing. The little boy’s savior was Dunton’s dog, Buford, who led him to the ranch. Speaking to KPNX of Phoenix, Dunton said, “I got in my truck to go to town and I see Buford walking down the side of the fence with a little blond kid with him. I had heard about the missing child this morning, so I knew it was him.”
Thankfully, the Arizona toddler told Dunton that he slept under a tree during the night. I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if he had walked in the wilderness during the night. It turns out that Buford, an Anatolian Pyrenees, walked with the boy for at least a mile. This was discovered after Dunton retraced their steps.
“He went through some rough country, it’s all mountains and canyons and boulder piles, and it’s rough for adults, let alone for 2-year-old kids. He did a remarkable job to go 7 miles like he did,” Dunton said while speaking about the Arizona toddler. Dunton also shared that Buford loves kids so maybe this is why he led him to safety. “He [Buford] loves kids, and I imagine he wouldn’t leave him once he’d found him,” the rancher said.
People Reacting to the Arizona Toddler’s Story
People had different reactions to the Arizona toddler’s story, but most of them were in awe of Buford’s heroism. “Buford, (best name ever), probably only walked with him about a mile, but the dog did find him,” one person pointed out. Someone replied to this by saying, “Dog, whose life is herding critters, when he sees a human separated from its herd: “Oh goodness me this requires fixin’.’” A Redditor also praised Buford for what he did. “the goodest of good boys,” they wrote.
Buford’s good job made someone wish that he got a good treat. “I hope Buford got a nice treat for being a good boy,” they wrote. Thankfully, Dunton shared in a video that Buford received a steak for dinner as his treat. Some people theorize that it is impossible for the Arizona toddler to walk 7 miles on his own. Someone even claimed that the little boy might have been kidnapped and his abductor left him after they saw the search efforts. No matter what is the truth behind this, one certain thing is that Buford is a good boy.
