It was every parent's nightmare. Petyon Myrick, 2, was getting ready to go get a Christmas tree with his grandfather. But when his grandfather turned his back for just a few minutes to put air in the tires of the tractor they were going to drive to get the tree, the boy was gone. Just like that.
According to the ABC-7, the boy had wandered off into the area surrounding his grandparents' home in Clover, South Carolina. The terrain was filled with countless dangers such as a pond and thick woods. His parents immediately feared for the worst.
For four long hours the boy was missing as his parents, nearly 400 volunteers, police, and search helicopters hunted for him. It got dark and cold. "I thought, this isn't going to end good," his mother, Carmen Myrick, told CNN.
The one ray of hope, however, was that his grandpa's dog, Ashapoo, was missing too. Since he was always at the boy's side, they hoped they were together.
So when after hours of searching someone saw a black-and-white dog, Peyton's dad, Rich, said he finally had a ray of hope that things might turn out okay. And fortunately they did.
According to ABC-7, Ashapoo led rescuers to Peyton, where he had laid down to take a nap in the woods. "He was uninjured, the dog took care of him, came out when he heard noise, and took the people to Peyton. So we're very blessed," Carmen told the station.
"Ash was his guardian angel in fur last night," Rich said.
It's an amazing story right out of a Lassie movie, and thank goodness the boy is okay. To think of what could have happened without the dog there is horrific, and I hope Ashapoo got a very big bone.
We do not have a dog, and stories like these always make me want one. I love them, but just feel like we don't have the time in our lives for one right now. And I just can't get over the thought of having to board it somewhere every time we go out of town.
But each year -- especially around the holidays -- I think about how special those bonds are between children and animals, and I think ... maybe. This story certainly pushes me further in that direction, as I imagine it will for many people who are thinking about how fun a puppy for Christmas would be. Really, how can it not?
ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral
Do your children have a special relationship with your dog if you have one? Are you thinking of getting one if you don't have one?
Image via ABC-7
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Comments 13
God bless our best friends on four legs
Simple, watch your kids...
Judy, I agree, adopt adopt adopt. Poor grandpa, must have felt awful. This, unfortunately, is why my folks don't watch my kids outside of my or there house. I just can't trust anyone as much as my husband and I. glad he was found safe, and for the dog, you better grill up a big ol' fat steak for that little punkin'!
This story made me tear up, soooooo nice to hear a happy story for once!!! That poor grandpa, he must have fest so terrible, but this kind of thing can happen to ANYONE! while our entire extended family was out camping once, no one noticed when my little cousin wondered off from camp. My dog, Amber, started freaking out and ran down the road, actually grabbing my cousin's clothes and dragging him off the road, and just in time because no sooner had they moved than a big truck came barreling down the road. We don't know what could have happened had Amber not got to him in time. She was a birthday gift when I turned 3 and was my best friend till my sophomore year in high school. My siblings and I became her puppies and she would have protected us to the death and if ever i found myself sad, she knew, and would come sit with me and let me hug her till I felt better. I was never alone with her around, and after she had a stroke, i skipped school for a few days and stayed home to cuddle up next to her until she passed. After her death, we planted a rose in her honor and Its not hard to miss her so bad I start crying. I want, more than anything, to get a dog for my children that will alter their lives as much as Amber altered mine.
Would sometimes see a friend's German Shepherd herd her two little ones back to the middle of the yard when they got too close to the road. The kids always thought she was just playing with them, but us adults knew that good dog spent the whole time watching the kids. I had a cat once who would allow my boy to pull her tail and to play roughly with her, and she tolerated it. This was a cat who would not allow anyone else to even think of doing that. She seemed to understand he was really little, and indulged him. So sweet.
I've been blessed to share my life with Border Collies for over 20 years (Tilly for 16 years, Zara for 7 and counting), so this story is not surprising at all. Border Collies are AMAZING!
This happened to me as a kid as well. I was around 4 (early 80s), was in the backyard playing and managed to get out of the fence. We had a large wooden area behind our house that stretched for 6 blocks back and 8 across. I was missing for 4 hours. My parents, neighbors, police, etc were all out searching for me. My dog (a black lab mix) never left my side. I don't remember this happening, but I have such fond memories of that dog.