A toddler who wandered into the woods with her two dogs by her side is safe and sound at home. Thea, 2, was found in the woods asleep. She was using her dog, Hartley, as a pillow as her other dog, Buddy, stood guard nearby. Thea and her dogs are inseparable. Buddy, a Rottweiler, and Hartley, a springer spaniel, have been with Thea since she was born.Around 7:30 Wednesday night, the girl and the two dogs wandered from home and into the woods.Her mom thought the child was outside with her uncle, who had been powerwashing. “He had told her to go inside and go get some shoes on because she was barefoot and he was around the corner on the porch and she said ‘OK,'” Thea’s mom Brooke Chase explained to WLUC.She said Thea’s uncle thought she had gone inside. “My gut told me to go check on Thea and make sure she’s not getting into any trouble, and that’s when we noticed she was not here and the dogs were not here,” Chase said.Searching with no avail for Thea and the dogs for around 30 minutes, Chase called 911.”I am just running up and down the road and we were driving up and down the road trying to search everywhere and we’re not hearing any of the dogs,” she recalled. “They’re not coming to our calls. She’s not coming to our calls and I’m just panicking.”Michigan State Police and deputies from the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office set up a search grid and, with help from volunteers and agencies from surrounding counties, quickly set to work looking for the girl. “The initial search efforts when something like this is guided by where the police K-9s are deployed, so we want to keep a fresh scent for them as long as possible,” Lt. Jeremy Hauswirth, the Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post commander, said.After nearly five hours, Thea and her dogs were found safe. They were nearly three miles from their house.An ATV rider found the girl asleep on Hartley near an ATV trail. Buddy was standing nearby. “I am thankful for the dogs being with her because I guess when she was found, the only reason she was found was because the dog, Buddy, our bigger Rottweiler, was standing there,” Chase said.She explained that when the ATV rider reached for the girl to wake her up and see if she was OK, “Hartley kind of like was like growling at him” as if to say “don’t touch my kid.”Chase heard over a radio that Thea was found.”I ran outside when I heard that she was up here and the minute she sees me, ‘Hi Mommy,’ like nothing happened, giggling. ‘Hi,'” Chase said of Thea. “I’m just like, ‘Hi honey,’ like trying to compose myself,” Chase said.Chase is still trying to process the who thing, but is grateful to everyone who helped find her daughter and her dogs.”I just want to thank everybody that was here helping find her,” she said.Thea wasn’t injured in the event and is back at home safely, along with Buddy and Hartley. See more in the video player above
A toddler who wandered into the woods with her two dogs by her side is safe and sound at home. Thea, 2, was found in the woods asleep. She was using her dog, Hartley, as a pillow as her other dog, Buddy, stood guard nearby.
Thea and her dogs are inseparable. Buddy, a Rottweiler, and Hartley, a springer spaniel, have been with Thea since she was born.
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Around 7:30 Wednesday night, the girl and the two dogs wandered from home and into the woods.
Her mom thought the child was outside with her uncle, who had been powerwashing.
“He had told her to go inside and go get some shoes on because she was barefoot and he was around the corner on the porch and she said ‘OK,'” Thea’s mom Brooke Chase explained to WLUC.
She said Thea’s uncle thought she had gone inside.
“My gut told me to go check on Thea and make sure she’s not getting into any trouble, and that’s when we noticed she was not here and the dogs were not here,” Chase said.
Searching with no avail for Thea and the dogs for around 30 minutes, Chase called 911.
“I am just running up and down the road and we were driving up and down the road trying to search everywhere and we’re not hearing any of the dogs,” she recalled. “They’re not coming to our calls. She’s not coming to our calls and I’m just panicking.”
Michigan State Police and deputies from the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office set up a search grid and, with help from volunteers and agencies from surrounding counties, quickly set to work looking for the girl.
“The initial search efforts when something like this is guided by where the police K-9s are deployed, so we want to keep a fresh scent for them as long as possible,” Lt. Jeremy Hauswirth, the Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post commander, said.
After nearly five hours, Thea and her dogs were found safe. They were nearly three miles from their house.
An ATV rider found the girl asleep on Hartley near an ATV trail. Buddy was standing nearby.
“I am thankful for the dogs being with her because I guess when she was found, the only reason she was found was because the dog, Buddy, our bigger Rottweiler, was standing there,” Chase said.
She explained that when the ATV rider reached for the girl to wake her up and see if she was OK, “Hartley kind of like was like growling at him” as if to say “don’t touch my kid.”
Chase heard over a radio that Thea was found.
“I ran outside when I heard that she was up here and the minute she sees me, ‘Hi Mommy,’ like nothing happened, giggling. ‘Hi,'” Chase said of Thea.
“I’m just like, ‘Hi honey,’ like trying to compose myself,” Chase said.
Chase is still trying to process the who thing, but is grateful to everyone who helped find her daughter and her dogs.
“I just want to thank everybody that was here helping find her,” she said.
Thea wasn’t injured in the event and is back at home safely, along with Buddy and Hartley.
See more in the video player above
