Family dog finds lost 2-year-old, stays until help arrives

Authorities use heat sensor to locate boy, his dog

A 2-year-old boy was found safe with his family's dog after the toddler went missing for hours in Minnesota, the Forum News Service reported.

The boy wandered off from the farmyard where he and his sibling were playing Thursday evening, the Service reported. The children's grandma checked on them, couldn't find him and searched the farm for about 30 minutes before contacting the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.

A sheriff's deputy looked for him. K-9 units, including two bloodhounds certified in searching for lost people, searched for the child. 

A couple hours after the initial call to police, Minnesota State Patrol started an aerial search, using a heat-sensing camera, the Service reported. 

The pilot was able to direct those searching on the ground to the boy -- who was found safe with his dog, the Service reported. He was cold and hungry, but otherwise in good condition.

Officials learned after the rescue that the dog had found the toddler and stayed with him until help arrived, the Service reported.