Kansas service dog finds missing 3-year-old, never leaves the child's side

In rural Atchison County, Kansas, KAKE reported that a missing 3-year-old was found safe thanks to a loyal service dog that kept watch over the child the whole time.

Here's what to know

According to KAKE, a search was launched in rural Atchison County when a 3-year-old went missing, and the child was ultimately returned safely to family members.

After the recovery, Atchison County Emergency Services wrote in a Facebook post, "The hero is Maverick the dog, the bestus boy ever. Maverick was located with the child and had apparently stayed by the child's side through the entire event."

More background

Officials said the outcome depended on help from many people and a long list of local agencies.

On Facebook, Atchison County Emergency Services expressed appreciation for multiple organizations, including Atchison County Communications and Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks.

While these organizations played a big role in making sure this child safely returned home, it doesn't hurt to have a rescue pup around to make the work a little easier.

"Maverick got all the treats and scratches responders could provide," Atchison County Emergency Services also shared.

Where can I learn more?

Dogs and humans are pretty great at working paw in hand. And when a dog needs rescuing itself, many people out there know how to get the job done. 

• In Utah, a miracle reunion with her owner brought a senior shelter dog home after 10 years.

• In Malaysia, rescuers freed a stray dog trapped for weeks with plastic stuck over its head.

• With conservation handler Rita Santos, a rescue dog locates wild animal droppings for science.

That last story is also a great example of how dogs can help people in unconventional ways. Who knew that they could be citizen scientists too?

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