Owners of a farm dog in Ghana feared that their beloved pet had gotten lost or injured when he didn't return home at the end of the day, so they organized a search party to look for him. They wound up looking for the pooch for a better part of the night -- and got the shock of their lives when they finally located him, because he wasn't alone. Lying next to him was an abandoned newborn baby who'd been "disposed of" sometime shortly after his birth. (How could any parent do such a thing?)
The poor infant still had his umbilical cord attached, which had gotten infected while he was left in the woods to die. And he very likely would've had a tragic ending to his story if this amazing dog hadn't cuddled up next to him all night to keep him warm.
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And it turns out the newborn is the whole reason the dog didn't come home in the first place -- because he was found with the baby under a bridge very close to his house. He wasn't lost at all. He could've easily left the baby and gone home, but he must've somehow instinctively known that he couldn't leave the little guy outside all night alone, so he chose to remain with him until help arrived.
Police are investigating why the baby was abandoned, but suspect that he was born to teenage parents who couldn't care for him. (Doesn't that break your heart?)
This story is amazing no matter how you look at it, but the fact that the dog is a male makes it even more astonishing. Usually females are the ones with the maternal instincts, but this heroic pooch definitely makes us wonder if all dogs have an innate sense of when a little one needs to be cared for.
Hopefully the owners of the dog fed him some extra scraps from the table and gave him a few well deserved belly rubs when he finally got home. And wouldn't it be something if whoever winds up adopting the baby comes back to introduce him to the dog who saved his life someday?
Are your dogs protective of your kids?
Image via Trostle/Flickr
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Comments 86
My dh's old pit would sit next to the baby swing and keep the cats and new puppy away from the baby. She was a good dog.
We have 2 dogs and the miniature poodle is old and doesnt do much but our 5 year old german shepard is so good with my DD. He gives her kisses and wont let anybody he doesnt know within 10 ft of her.
Awesome story!
We rescued a lab mix a few months ago, and he's awesome with my kids - nobody comes into my yard without him making a racket, and I can tell from the tone of his bark if it's someone he knows or a stranger. If it's a stranger, he will position himself between my kids and the 'intruder' until I call him off. Such a good boy!