A very elderly dog has been hailed as a hero after he stayed with a three-year-old girl all night while she was lost in the Australian bush.
Max, a 17-year-old Blue Heeler (a type of Australian Cattle Dog), stuck by the side of young Aurora until she was found by rescuers.
She had disappeared in bushland in Queensland at about 3pm yesterday before being found again at 8am this morning.
She was found safe and well with Max by her side looking after her.
I mean, there's being a good boy and then there's just being the best boy ever.
In fact, Max was that much of a good boy that he has been made an honorary police dog by Queensland police.
They tweeted: "SUCH A GOOD BOY, MAX! He stayed with his three-year-old human who was lost near Warwick last night while we frantically searched for her. For keeping her safe, you're now an honorary police dog."
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It can't have been easy for him either. Max apparently can't see or hear so well these days, making what he did even more impressive.
More than 100 people joined the search to find the missing girl, but they found Max first and he helped them find her in the end.
Kelly Benston, Aurora's grandmother's partner said: "She found the dog first. Max led her to Aurora.
"Max is 17 years old, deaf and partially blind."
Ian Phipps, the area controller for the State Emergency Service - the organisation that arranged the search - said that they eventually found Aurora and Max about two kilometres from the house she had wandered off from, but still on family property in Cherry Gulch, near Warwick, Queensland.
He said: "The area around the house is quite mountainous and is very inhospitable terrain to go walking in, so she'd travelled quite a distance with her dog that was quite loyal to her.
"The search was actually quite hard where the volunteers and the police were, amongst the very steep slopes full of lantana and other vegetation."
Aurora's grandmother, Leisa Bennett, spoke about her emotional reunion with her lost grandchild.
She said: "When I heard her yell 'Grammy' I knew it was her,
"I shot up the mountain and when I got to the top, the dog came to me and led me straight to her.
"I think [Aurora] was a bit overwhelmed by the tears and the howling, but I explained to her how happy those tears were,
"It could have gone any of 100 ways, but she's here, she's alive, she's well and it's a great outcome for our family."
Mr Phipps said that Aurora was largely OK, despite a few minor cuts and abrasions. It could have been so different though, had Max not stuck with her.
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Kelly BenstonTopics: Dog, News, Animals, Australia
