Dogs are such loving and protective animals, especially towards young children. There have been many instances when a child has been lost and in danger, only to be found with their loyal dog keeping them safe.
That was the case recently, after two young girls went missing but thankfully had their golden retriever by their side as their guardian angel.
Justin and Mary Bourg, of Folsom, Louisiana, experienced every parent’s worst nightmare last month, after their two daughters, 7-year-old Abigail and 4-year-old Cecilia, went missing.
“That feeling of just, ‘Oh my gosh, what could happen to them, where are they?’ You start feeling the worst in those split seconds, too long,” Mary told WDSU.
The mother put out an urgent plea on Facebook, saying that the girls had disappeared from their property and had their pet golden retriever, Artemis, with them. She wrote that police and locals from the community were out looking for her daughters.
“Please pray that our babies come home safely,” Mary wrote.
The search party used ATVs, drones, helicopters and dozens of volunteers. But ultimately, it was the golden retriever that helped guide them to the right location.
“Artemis heard people coming and started barking making it much easier to find them,” Mary wrote.
That help may have proved crucial, as the girls were in a deep, dark part of the woods and it might have otherwise been harder to locate them.
The girls were finally found, and it was clear that Artemis had been fiercely protecting them the entire time. “He even growled at the police at first because he was protecting our babies,” Mary wrote.
“Abigail was laying on top of Artemis holding his collar and just snuggled up with him and CC (Cecilia) was laying with her head on Abigail’s stomach, and they were just kind of dug in for the night,” Justin Bourg told WWL.
The father said the girls were about three to four hundred yards from home, and he’s grateful that they knew to stay put when they got lost, saying that “Jesus took the reins and gave them some peace and direction.”
As the girls waited to be found, Artemis was their vigilant protector: Mary wrote that the dog likely protected them from the wild hogs in the area.
While the 4-year-old was “shaken” by the ordeal, the girls were otherwise okay. The parents breathed a sigh of relief, and say they are taking precautions to keep their girls safe in the future.
“It was tough, I told them I said that was probably the most tears I cried in the last 20 years,” Justin told WDSU. “I don’t want to traumatize them, I want to keep that adventure mentality but also have a head about it and be smart.”
They thanked all the people involved with the search mission, while also thanking their “hero” dog Artemis. In a follow-up post, Mary shared a photo of one of her daughters cuddled up with Artemis: “She still doesn’t want to leave him.”
What a miracle — we’re so glad these girls were found safe and sound, and had loyal dog Artemis there with them for protection.
Dogs truly are incredible animals. Please share this amazing news ❤️🐾
