Dog finds 2-year-old baby in Arizona desert (6 photos + 1 video)

Bowden Allen, 2, went missing from his home in Seligman, Arizona, around 5 p.m. on April 14. An extensive search was unsuccessful.





Bowden's parents, Corey and Sarah, were caring for their 1-year-old son when he went missing. They became concerned when they called out to Bowden, but he did not respond.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Department launched a search and rescue operation overnight, but were unable to locate the toddler.



Sarah shared that she couldn't figure out how to react to her son's disappearance. She looked at his empty bed at night and couldn't believe he was gone. How could he be alone in the dark?





40 first responders and several sheriff's deputies searched for Bowden all night. He was found 16 hours later by a rancher about 7.5 miles from the Allen home.

Scotty Dunton said his dog, Buford, found Bowden under a tree and led him to safety.

"There are three big canyons and ridges to get to where he came from, and it's long and winding. It's amazing he got that far," Dunton told KPNX.



Dunton said Buford, a Great Pyrenees dog, regularly patrols the ranch to keep coyotes away. He added that his dog loves children and would not have abandoned the boy.

The rancher recognized Bowden from the flyer and immediately called the police. The fugitive said he was sleeping under a tree, and Danton praised him, noting that he was “the strongest two-year-old.”



“A thousand ways to go wrong, but luckily there was one good way, and it worked,” the man said.

The child escaped with only minor scratches.

“I feel like God sent this dog to save my son,” Cory said.



The area where Bowden roamed is home to cougars, coyotes, and bears. The sheriff's department said cougars were spotted in the boy's path during a nighttime helicopter search.

Bowden has returned to his parents and is recovering from his wilderness journey.