Hero Golden Retriever helps reunite missing 3-year-old boy with his family thanks to sharp observation
Who says Golden Retrievers are just adorable? These furballs are also remarkably intelligent. Their uncanny problem-solving skills, social intelligence, communication skills and spatial awareness make them exceptionally good at tasks like hunting and retrieving, search and rescue, guarding and protection. Besides, Golden Retrievers can also be trained to help people dealing with mental health challenges, ensuring that they provide such individuals with comfort, care and love. Similarly, an individual who goes by u/tankman714 on Reddit shared how their clever Golden Retriever, Zoie, reunited a 3-year-old boy reported missing with his family.
The author was working on their PC when their usually quiet dog suddenly started barking like crazy while staring out the window. When the author looked out, they saw a toddler walking up to their neighbor's driveway and into their backyard. Since no one was at that house, the author asked another neighbor with young kids if he knew anything about the boy, but he didn't. Next, they tried to talk to the child, but he didn't speak. "We asked another neighbor if he knew anything or had seen the kid, to which he had not. Those 2 guys took the kid up the street asking around while I went to get my phone and dial 911," the author revealed. When the author called the police and shared their location and basic details about the boy, the female officer suddenly yelled to someone, "They found him," while still on the call.
Moments later, two police officers arrived at the location to investigate. The officers informed the author that the 3-year-old boy had gone missing about 30 minutes ago from a busy road, half a mile away from their location. "Two female officers came to my house about 15 minutes later to finish up their report, where I informed them of my amazing doggie’s actions, to which they had my dog come out on the porch with them and gave her all the pets and scratches and told her how amazing she is," the author revealed. Furthermore, the author praised their super-intelligent dog, Zoie, for helping find the toddler and reuniting him with his parents. "If it weren’t for my dog barking like hell just opened up, who knows if that young boy would have ever been found? So thankful for my amazing doggie, she is absolutely amazing and I love her so much," they added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Reddit post, u/what-a-dump wrote, "Zoie is a true hero! As a parent, I can't imagine how thankful those parents are. Did they come by yet with the little one and see Zoie? I am sure they will. If they haven't, they're probably just hugging their little one and thanking God and your Zoie! You should put together an Amazon wish list for Zoie. I'd like to buy her a special treat or maybe a toy if that would be OK. If you think that's a good idea or not, let me know." Similarly, u/savedstardate_68415 commented, "I love how she instinctively knew there was a problem and alerted you. Good on you for listening and jumping to action to get the kid back to their family. Zoie deserves a medal and a mountain of her favorite treats and toys. Please give her a pat and a kiss from this internet stranger!"
u/bravecommunication14 wrote, "Awww, she’s got protective mommy genes! She recognized a tiny, helpless human that needed help and reacted accordingly. That little kid could easily have been hit by a car. Your pup is a beautiful girl and a definite hero. By the way, you are a hero too for investigating and calling the police. A lot of people would have shrugged it off, figuring Mommy was probably nearby."