Family dog hailed as a ‘hero’ after protecting two young missing girls who got lost in the Louisiana woods for 4 HOURS
- Abigail, 7, and Cecilia Bourg, 4, were reported missing in Folsom on Monday
- At the time, they were trying to keep pace with their golden retriever, Artemis
- The girls lost their parents after wandering into the woods for more than a mile
- Artemis laid on top of both girls to protect them from danger while they felt tired
- Police eventually found the two kids and the family pet after a four-hour search
A dog in Louisiana has gone from being an ordinary pet to being hailed as a local hero after protecting two missing girls for hours after they got lost in the woods near their home.
The Bourg family’s golden retriever, Artemis, happened to be accompanying Abigail, 7, and her four-year-old sister, Cecilia, when they were reported missing in Folsom on Monday.
‘I just start like running around the whole six-acre property and that’s when I called [my husband] and said, ”They’re gone,”’ the girls’ mother, Mary, told CBS News, recalling the moment when she realized both of her daughters had disappeared.
Local authorities and residents went on a four-hour search for the girls and were finally able to find them after hearing Artemis’ bark.
Artemis, a golden retriever belonging to the Bourg family in Folsom, Louisiana, has been hailed as a hero for saving four-year-old, Cecilia, and Abigail, 7, when they got lost in the woods near their home on Monday
The girls had wandered off for more than a mile while trying to keep up with the family dog, who had run off from its owners
The mother-of-two added that the family dog was so protective of the young girls that it ‘wasn’t letting [police] by the girls’, or any other members of the search team for that matter.
‘He was circling them, growling at the people to protect them,’ Bourg further said.
Before realizing that they had gone too far into the woods on their own, Abigail and Cecilia had wandered off for more than a mile.
Artemis had laid on top of them to protect them once they had felt tired.
Police were able to find the two minors after a four-hour search. They were able to find the girls after hearing to Artemis bark
Artemis was so protective that he ‘wasn’t letting’ police or any other members of the search team get close to the girls once they had been found
Abigail and Cecilia are safe and sound with their parents, Mary and Justin, as well as Artemis
After being reunited with their parents, the two girls said they had gotten lost after trying to keep pace with Artemis, CBS News reported.
‘He kept running ahead of us. We were trying to follow him, but we couldn’t keep up,’ Abigail Bourg said.
The young girl’s father, Justin, said the golden retriever was let off the hook after it had kept the family together.
‘He’s got a free pass for a while,’ he added. ‘I won’t be fussing at him for chewing up blankets and shoes.’
After being reunited with their parents, Abigal and Cecilia said they had gotten lost in the woods after trying to keep pace with Artemis
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office thanked Louisiana State Police, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and local residents for the help in finding the two girls, describing the outcome as ‘a very happy ending.’
Meanwhile, golden retrievers have been rated as ‘highly instinctual and adaptive’ in any given situation, according to Puppy In Training.
‘This means they are able to read the emotions of the people in a room, understand what routines mean, associate certain objects with actions, and learn their training very quickly!’
