A 7-year-old German Shepherd is being praised for saving a 2-year-old girl who wandered away from her home in Dorchester, New Hampshire, and got lost in freezing temperatures.
Authorities were alerted on the afternoon of Oct. 10 after the child’s mother called 911, according to The Washington Post. The mother reported that her toddler — dressed only in thin leggings and a light sweater — slipped out of their secured backyard after two family dogs broke through the fence, leaving an opening.
With temperatures already in the 40s and expected to drop into the 20s overnight, police immediately called for backup. More than 90 volunteers soon joined the search, combing through dense woods near the family’s home.
“Everybody dropped what they were doing and came over extremely quickly knowing the temperature was dropping,” Sgt. Christopher McKee of New Hampshire Fish and Game told the Post.
Among the volunteers was Jeremy Corson, who drove 40 miles from Concord with his trained search and rescue dog, Freyja. A member of New England K9 Search and Rescue for 13 years, Corson wasted no time sending Freyja into the forest to begin tracking.
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“Time is of the essence with a 2-year-old, both because they’re young and because the more time passes, the more they can travel,” Corson said.
Around 8 p.m. — nearly five hours after the child had disappeared — Freyja picked up a scent. “She’s nose-down, which is an indicator of tracking. She’s got scent on the ground,” Corson explained. “The woods were so thick, you couldn’t see much more than a couple feet in front of you at any particular moment.”
Corson called the girl’s name — and to his relief, she answered.
“She was in a really rough piece of woods. I could definitely tell she was cold and scared,” he said. Corson carried the shivering toddler back through the woods to her home, where her family waited anxiously.
“Everyone was absolutely ecstatic,” he recalled. “Mom was very happy, very emotional and broke down.”
The child was taken to a local hospital for a full-body check and, according to the Post, was eager for “a bath and bedtime” once she was safely reunited with her family.
Corson said he couldn’t be prouder of Freyja, describing her abilities as “incredible.” After the rescue, the heroic dog was rewarded with a brand-new ball and plenty of well-deserved affection.
